Fig 2: Cellular composition of 384-well DIV21 cultures. Approximately 20–35 % of the cells in these cultures are neurons (MAP2-positive cells, A), 7% ± 2% are astrocytes (GFAP-positive cells, B) and 36 % ± 7% are oligodendrocytes (oligo-2 positive cells, C). Scale bar for all images is shown in C (20 µm).

Fig 3: proBDNF Is Induced in Astrocytes After TBI. Adult mice were subjected to CCI and perfused 3 days after injury. Representative sections through the injury site 3 days after CCI show increased proBDNF labeling (red), some of which colocalizes with GFAP (green) adjacent to the area of tissue damage. In contrast, sections through the contralateral side 3 days after the injury show little expression of proBDNF. (A) Arrows indicate colocalization of proBDNF and GFAP-positive cells. (B) Arrowheads indicate GFAP-positive cells that do not express proBDNF. Scale bar = 50 µm.GFAP = glial fibrillary acidic protein; proBDNF = pro-brain-derived neurotrophic factor.

Fig 4: Characterization of proliferating and differentiated neuroepithelial-like stem (NES) cells in terms of morphology and cell-type marker expression. (A) Phase contrast image of proliferating NES (day 0). (B) Phase contrast image of differentiated NES (day 9 post differentiation). (C) Proliferating NES cells (day 0) stained for: ß-III-Tubulin (TuJ-1; green Alexa Fluor 488); glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP; red Alexa Flour 555); and nuclear DNA (blue DAPI stain). (D) Differentiated NES cells (day 9 post differentiation) stained for: TuJ-1 (green Alexa Fluor 488); GFAP (red Alexa Flour 555); and nuclear DNA (blue DAPI stain).

Fig 5: Differentiation of murine skin stem cell precursors (SKP).The differentiation of SKPs was induced through the dissociation of cell aggregates into single cells followed by serum exposure and, as may be seen in the micrographs after 7 days (A), 14 days (B) and 21 days (C), these cells presented several elongated extensions. The mRNA levels of astrocyte markers (D) GFAP; oligodendrocytes (E) CNPase; and neurons (F) ßIII tubulin were measured by qRT-PCR and validated at the protein level (G) by immunofluorescence microscopy, Bar = 50µm. The results are presented as the mean ± SD of values obtained in three independent experiments performed in triplicates. Statistical analyzes were performed using ANOVA analysis of variance followed by Tukey test to post-Kramer. All groups were measured versus the undifferentiated control in the shortest time of differentiation, ns = not significant; * p = 0.05; ** p=0.001.