Developmental Emergence of Adult Neural Stem Cells as Revealed by Single-Cell Transcriptional Profiling

Publication date: 26 December 2017
Source:Cell Reports, Volume 21, Issue 13
Author(s): Scott A. Yuzwa, Michael J. Borrett, Brendan T. Innes, Anastassia Voronova, Troy Ketela, David R. Kaplan, Gary D. Bader, Freda D. Miller
Adult neural stem cells (NSCs) derive from embryonic precursors, but little is known about how or when this occurs. We have addressed this issue using single-cell RNA sequencing at multiple developmental time points to analyze the embryonic murine cortex, one source of adult forebrain NSCs. We computationally identify all major cortical cell types, including the embryonic radial precursors (RPs) that generate adult NSCs. We define the initial emergence of RPs from neuroepithelial stem cells at E11.5. We show that, by E13.5, RPs express a transcriptional identity that is maintained and reinforced throughout their transition to a non-proliferative state between E15.5 and E17.5. These slowly proliferating late embryonic RPs share a core transcriptional phenotype with quiescent adult forebrain NSCs. Together, these findings support a model wherein cortical RPs maintain a core transcriptional identity from embryogenesis through to adulthood and wherein the transition to a quiescent adult NSC occurs during late neurogenesis.

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Teaser

Yuzwa et al. use single-cell RNA-seq to define the transcriptional identity of precursor cells in the embryonic mouse cortex and, in so doing, characterize the developmental emergence of adult forebrain neural stem cells.


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