Fig. 5: Neurosphere formation leads to heterogeneous, limited neural differentiation, whereas distributed 3D NPC cultures enhance neural differentiation. | Nature Communications

Fig. 5: Neurosphere formation leads to heterogeneous, limited neural differentiation, whereas distributed 3D NPC cultures enhance neural differentiation.

From: Viscoelastic N‑cadherin-like interactions maintain neural progenitor cell stemness within 3D matrices

Fig. 5

Representative maximum projection fluorescence images of NPCs within Dynamic Fast HELP gels after 7 days of (a) astrocytic differentiation or (b) neuronal differentiation. a Immunolabeling for the astrocytic markers S100β (yellow) and GFAP (red), with nuclei counterstained (blue). b Immunolabeling for the neuronal markers βIII-tubulin (magenta) and MAP2 (green), with nuclei counterstained (blue). Single z-plane fluorescence images of neurospheres compared to maximum projection fluorescence images of distributed NPCs within Dynamic Fast HELP gels after 7 days of (c) astrocytic differentiation or (d) neuronal differentiation. c Immunolabeling for the astrocytic markers S100β (yellow) and GFAP (red), with nuclei counterstained (blue). d Immunolabeling for the neuronal markers βIII-tubulin (magenta) and MAP2 (green), with nuclei counterstained (blue). Quantification of (e) GFAP or (f) MAP2 expression area, normalized by cell number (N = 4–5 replicate hydrogels, data are means ± standard deviation). GFAP: RGD-RDG vs. RGD-HAVDI ***p = 0.0003, RGD-HAVDI vs. HAVDI-RDG ****p < 0.0001; MAP2: RGD-RDG vs. RGD-HAVDI **p = 0.0018, RGD-HAVDI vs. HAVDI-RDG ****p < 0.0001. Statistical analyses performed as one-way ANOVA with Tukey’s multiple comparisons test (e, f). Source data are provided as a Source Data file.

Back to article page