The University of Connecticut Health Center

2 ARTICLES PUBLISHED IN JoVE

Neuroscience

The Specification of Telencephalic Glutamatergic Neurons from Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Erin M. Boisvert^1,2, Kyle Denton¹, Ling Lei¹, Xue-Jun Li^1,3

¹Department of Neuroscience, The University of Connecticut Health Center, ²Department of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The University of Connecticut Health Center, ³Stem Cell Institute, The University of Connecticut Health Center

This procedure yields telencephalic neurons by going through checkpoints which are similar to those observed during human development. The cells are allowed to spontaneously differentiate, are exposed to factors which push them towards the neural lineage, are isolated, and are plated onto coverslips to allow for terminal differentiation and maturation.

Neuroscience

Analyzing Mitochondrial Transport and Morphology in Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neurons in Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia

Yongchao Mou^1,2, Sukhada Mukte¹, Eric Chai¹, Joshua Dein³, Xue-Jun Li^1,2

¹Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford, ²Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, ³MD Program, University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford

Impaired mitochondrial transport and morphology are involved in various neurodegenerative diseases. The presented protocol uses induced pluripotent stem cell-derived forebrain neurons to assess mitochondrial transport and morphology in hereditary spastic paraplegia. This protocol allows characterization of mitochondrial trafficking along axons and analysis of their morphology, which will facilitate the study of neurodegenerative disease.