Heterogeneity of Neural Progenitor Cells Revealed by Enhancers in the Nestin Gene

• Published in: Developmental biology Vol. 205; no. 2; pp. 309 - 321
• Main Authors: Yaworsky, Paul J, Kappen, Claudia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 15.01.1999
• Subjects: 3' Untranslated Regions - genetics; Animals; Base Sequence; Central Nervous System - chemistry; Central Nervous System - physiology; Chromosome Mapping; CNS; development; embryo; enhancer; Enhancer Elements, Genetic; Female; Genetic Heterogeneity; Humans; Intermediate Filament Proteins - genetics; Introns - genetics; LacZ; Mesencephalon - chemistry; Mesencephalon - physiology; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; midbrain; Molecular Sequence Data; Mutagenesis, Site-Directed - genetics; Nerve Tissue Proteins; Nestin; neuroepithelium; Neurons - physiology; progenitor cell; Rats; regulatory element; Sequence Deletion - genetics; stem cell; Stem Cells - physiology; transgenic mice; neuroepithelium; enhancer; development; midbrain; regulatory element; transgenic mice; stem cell; nestin; LacZ; CNS; embryo; progenitor cell
• ISSN: 0012-1606; 1095-564X
• DOI: 10.1006/dbio.1998.9035

Using transgenic embryos, we have identified two distinct CNS progenitor cell-specific enhancers, each requiring the cooperation of at least two independent regulatory sites, within the second intron of the rat nestin gene. One enhancer is active throughout the developing CNS, while the other is specifically active in the ventral midbrain. These experiments demonstrate that neural progenitor cells in the midbrain constitute a unique subpopulation based upon their ability to activate the midbrain regulatory element. Our finding of differential enhancer activity from a gene encoding a structural protein reveals a previously unrecognized diversity in neural progenitor cell populations.