Journal: Scientific Reports
Article Title: Selective Induction of Human Autonomic Neurons Enables Precise Control of Cardiomyocyte Beating
doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-66303-3
Figure Lengend Snippet: Human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC)-derived progenitors of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) differentiate into functional ANS neurons. (a ) Phase-contrast images of differentiated neurons on day 52. We induced hPSC-derived autonomic progenitors to mature neurons, using the autonomic neural crest (aNC) method shown in Fig. . Scale bar; left 100 μm, right 10 μm. ( b ) Distinct axon elongation of differentiated neurons on day 36. Neurons were cultured in the microfabricated device and labelled with a Synapsin-1-GFP lentiviral vector to detect axons. Neurons plated on the left-side chamber extended axons to the right-side chamber via microtunnels of 50-μm width (left panel). A highly magnified image of the boxed region in the middle panel is shown (right). ( c ) Immunofluorescence staining for TUJ1, PRPH, and TH on day 36. ( d) Comparison of the ratio of TH-positive to TUJ1-positive cells ( n = 5, error bar shows SDs; two-sided Student’s unpaired t -test * P < 0.001). The ratio of TH-positive areas to TUJ1-positive areas in induced neurons was calculated. ( e) Immunofluorescence staining of DBH and PRPH for sympathetic-like neurons on day 68 and PHOX2B and CHAT for parasympathetic-like neurons on day 52. Double immunofluorescence staining for TH and CHAT on day 59 were also shown. ( f ) Typical traces of calcium transients of induced neurons with indicated drugs. We used sensory neuron agonists menthol and capsaicin and ANS agonist nicotine. The right panel shows representative traces of calcium transients in 5 cells as shown in the phase-contrast image (left panel) for 350 s (see also Supplementary Movie ). The colour bar shows the fluorescent intensity. ( g ) Representative electrical signal in a selected single electrode after illumination. ChR2-expressing neurons were cultured on MEA substrates, and electrical activity was recorded. The left panel shows a schematic representation of the experimental protocol. Middle panels show phase-contrast and fluorescence microscopic images of neurons plated on MEA substrate. Blue lines indicate the timing of blue light stimulation in the right panel. Scale bar; 100 μm in ( b,c,e–g ).
Article Snippet: The following primary antibodies were used: mouse anti-NGFR (1:200; Advanced Targeting Systems, San Diego, CA, USA), mouse anti-class III beta-tubulin (TUJ1; 1:1000; Abcam, Cambridge, UK), mouse anti-microtubule-associated protein (MAP2; 1:1000; Abcam), mouse anti-PHOX2A (1:50; Abcam), mouse anti-PHOX2B (1:100; Proteintech, Rosemont, IL, USA), mouse anti-tyrosine hydroxylase (TH; 1:200; Merck Millipore, Billerica, MA, USA), mouse anti-dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH; 1:50; Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Dallas, TX, USA), mouse anti-phenylethanolamine N -methyltransferase (PNMT; 1:100; Abcam), rabbit anti-SOX10 (1:500; Abcam), rabbit anti-Peripherin (PRPH; 1:1000; Merck Millipore), rabbit anti-TH (1:500; Merck Millipore), rabbit anti-PHOX2B (1:100; Abcam), and rabbit anti-choline acetyltransferase (CHAT; 1:1000; Abcam).
Techniques: Derivative Assay, Functional Assay, Cell Culture, Plasmid Preparation, Immunofluorescence, Staining, Double Immunofluorescence Staining, Expressing, Activity Assay, Fluorescence