Retinal Ganglion Cell Diversity and Subtype Specification from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.

PubMed ID: 29576537

Author(s): Langer KB, Ohlemacher SK, Phillips MJ, Fligor CM, Jiang P, Gamm DM, Meyer JS. Retinal ganglion cell diversity and subtype specification from human pluripotent stem cells. Stem Cell Reports. 2018 Apr 10;10(4):1282-1293. doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2018.02.010. Epub 2018 Mar 22. PMID 29576537

Journal: Stem Cell Reports, Volume 10, Issue 4, Apr 2018

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are the projection neurons of the retina and transmit visual information to postsynaptic targets in the brain. While this function is shared among nearly all RGCs, this class of cell is remarkably diverse, comprised of multiple subtypes. Previous efforts have identified numerous RGC subtypes in animal models, but less attention has been paid to human RGCs. Thus, efforts of this study examined the diversity of RGCs differentiated from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) and characterized defined subtypes through the expression of subtype-specific markers. Further investigation of these subtypes was achieved using single-cell transcriptomics, confirming the combinatorial expression of molecular markers associated with these subtypes, and also provided insight into more subtype-specific markers. Thus, the results of this study describe the derivation of RGC subtypes from hPSCs and will support the future exploration of phenotypic and functional diversity within human RGCs.