ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Cell Research (2007): 619-626
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Interactions of primary neuroepithelial progenitor and brain endothelial cells: distinct effect on neural progenitor maintenance and differentiation by soluble factors and direct contact

Miguel A Gama Sosa^1,3, Rita De Gasperi^1,3, Anne B Rocher², Gissel M Perez^1,3, Keila Simons^1,3, Daniel E Cruz^1,3, Patrick R Hof² and Gregory A Elder^1,3

Correspondence: Miguel A Gama Sosa Tel: +718-584-9000 ext 1839; Fax: +718-562-9120 E-mail: miguel.gama-sosa@mssm.edu

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Neurovascular interactions are crucial for the normal development of the central nervous system. To study such interactions in primary cultures, we developed a procedure to simultaneously isolate neural progenitor and endothelial cell fractions from embryonic mouse brains. Depending on the culture conditions endothelial cells were found to favor maintenance of the neuroprogenitor phenotype through the production of soluble factors, or to promote neuronal differentiation of neural progenitors through direct contact. These apparently opposing effects could reflect differential cellular interactions needed for the proper development of the brain.

Cell Research (2007) 17:619-626. doi: 10.1038/cr.2007.53; published online 26 June 2007

Keywords: differentiation, culture, endothelial cells, neuroepithelial cells