FIGURE 1.

Neural stem cells prepared in the form of neurospheres. a, neurospheres were prepared from the striata of mouse embryos (embryonic day 14.5) and cultured in Neurobasal-A medium supplemented with B27, basic FGF and EGF. b, cells forming neurospheres were stained with Rat 401 anti-nestin antibody or AK97 anti-SSEA-1 antibody. Most neurosphere-forming cells were positive for nestin (neural stem cell marker protein; green) and SSEA-1 (neural stem cell marker carbohydrate; green). coIgG and coIgM indicate subclass control IgG and control IgM (BD Biosciences), respectively. c, cells forming neurospheres were cultured in undifferentiation condition (undiffer) or differentiation condition (differ; 0 ng/ml basic FGF and EGF and 1% fetal bovine serum for 5 days) and then stained with antibodies to nestin, β-III tubulin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and galactocerebroside (GalC). β-III Tubulin⁺ neurons (green), GFAP⁺ astrocytes (green), and GalC⁺ oligodendrocytes (green) are found in the cells cultured in differentiation condition. Nuclei were stained with Hoechst 33258 (blue). Scale bars, 100 μm in a; 50 μm in b and c.