Fig. 7

In vivo differentiation of transplanted neural progenitors. a Representative confocal micrographs of transplanted BrdU⁺ BDNF-GFP or GFP cells, which are positive for MAP2, GFAP, Olig2, or ASPA. b Quantitative analysis of neural progenitor differentiation. Z-stacks were recorded with a confocal laser scanning microscope. Cells positive for BrdU and the respective marker were counted in a 50 μm × 50 μm wide field. BDNF-GFP neural progenitors showed a significant increase towards neuronal (MAP2⁺, p = 0.0088) and oligodendrocytic (Olig2⁺, p = 0.0418; ASPA⁺, p = 0.029) lineage differentiation. Astrocytic differentiation (GFAP⁺) was not significantly changed (p = 0.1783) as compared with GFP-expressing neural progenitors. The average of n = 6 ± SEM transplanted animals is represented. *p <0.05 and **p <0.01, unpaired Student’s t test. Transplants with GFP cells revealed a bias towards astrocytic over neuronal differentiation (^## p = 0.0067). ASPA aspartoacylase, BDNF brain-derived neurotrophic factor, BrdU 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine, GFAP glial fibrillary acidic protein, GFP green fluorescent protein, MAP2 microtubule-associated protein 2, Olig2 oligodendrocyte transcription factor 2