Medical Molecular Morphology | 2019
Stage-dependent differential gene expression profiles of cranial neural crest-like cells derived from mouse-induced pluripotent stem cells
Abstract
Cranial neural crest cells are multipotent cells that migrate into the pharyngeal arches of the vertebrate embryo and differentiate into various craniofacial organ derivatives. Therefore, migrating cranial neural crest cells are considered one of the most attractive candidate cell sources in regenerative medicine. We generated cranial neural crest like cell (cNCCs) using mouse-induced pluripotent stem cells cultured in neural crest-inducing medium for 14\xa0days. Subsequently, we conducted RNA sequencing experiments to analyze gene expression profiles of cNCCs at different time points after induction. cNCCs expressed several neural crest specifier genes; however, some previously reported specifier genes such as paired box 3 and Forkhead box D3, which are essential for embryonic neural crest development, were not expressed. Moreover, ETS proto-oncogene 1, transcription factor and sex-determining region Y-box 10 were only expressed after 14\xa0days of induction. Finally, cNCCs expressed multiple protocadherins and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs enzymes, which may be crucial for their migration.