Figure 2.

Validation of progenitor and hypothalamic identity of cultured neurospheres.

The progenitor marker Sox2 is strongly expressed in primary (A-A′′), secondary (B-B′′), and tertiary (C-C′′) neurospheres. The progenitor marker Sox3 is strongly expressed in primary (D-D′′), secondary (E-E′′), and tertiary (F-F′′) neurospheres. The pan-hypothalamic marker Nkx2.1 is also near-ubiquitously expressed in primary (G-G′′), secondary (H-H′′), and tertiary (I-I′′) neurospheres, as well as in the nuclei of tertiary cells (J-J′′). Primary neurospheres also express additional hypothalamic markers Rax (K-K′′), Six3 (L-L′′), and Vax1 (M-M′′). Pax6 is not expressed in primary Nkx2.1+ hypothalamic neurospheres (N-N′′′). (2–4 representative fields are presented, grey lines divide different fields of exposure).