We thank Jenny Gringer Richards for her thorough work in validating our control subjects, from which we generated the control iPSCs. This work was supported by NIH T32 MH019113 (to D.A.M. and K.A.K.), the Nellie Ball Trust (to T.H.W. and A.J.W.), NIH R01 MH111578 (to V.A.M. and J.A.W.), NIH KL2 TR002536 (to A.J.W.), and the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust (to V.A.M., J.A.W., and A.J.W.).&#160;The figures were created with BioRender.com.

The human subjects research was approved under the University of Iowa Institutional Review Board approval number 201805995 and the University of Iowa Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Committee approval number 2017-02. Skin biopsies were obtained from the subjects after obtaining written informed consent. The fibroblasts were cultured in DMEM with 15% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 1% MEM-non-essential amino acids solution at 37 &#176;C and 5% CO2. Fibroblasts were reprogrammed using an episomal reprogramming kit foll...

<ol>
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The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

The ability to model human cerebellar development in vitro is important for disease modeling as well as furthering the understanding of normal brain development. Less complicated and cost-effective protocols create more opportunities for replicable data generation and broad implementation across multiple scientific labs. A cerebellar differentiation protocol is described here using a modified method of generating EBs that does not require enzymes or dissociation agents, using growth factors reported by Muguruma ...

Understanding human cerebellar development and the critical time windows of this process is important not only for decoding the possible causes of neurodevelopmental disorders but also for identifying new targets for therapeutic intervention. Modeling human cerebellar development in vitro has been challenging, yet over time, many protocols differentiating human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) or iPSCs with cerebellar lineage fates have emerged1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8. Furthermore, it is important to develop protocols that generate reproducible results, are relatively simple (to reduce error), and are not heavy on monetary costs.
The first protocols for cerebellar differentiation were generated from 2D cultures from plated embryoid bodies (EBs), inducing cerebellar fate with various growth factors similar to in vivo development, including WNT, BMPs, and FGFs1,9. More recent published protocols induced differentiation primarily in 3D organoid culture with FGF2 and insulin, followed by FGF19 and SDF1 for rhombic lip-like structures3,4, or used a combination of FGF2, FGF4, and FGF85. Both cerebellar organoid induction methods resulted in similar 3D cerebellar organoids as both protocols reported similar cerebellar marker expression at identical time points. Holmes and Heine extended their 3D protocol5 to show that 2D cerebellar cells can be generated from hESCs and iPSCs, which start as 3D aggregates. In addition, Silva et al.7 demonstrated that cells representing mature cerebellar neurons in 2D can be generated with a similar approach to Holmes and Heine, using a different time point for switching from 3D to 2D and extending the time of growth and maturation.
The current protocol induces cerebellar fate in feeder-free iPSCs by generating free-floating embryoid bodies (EBs) using insulin and FGF2 and then plating the EBs on PLO/laminin-coated dishes on day 14 for 2D growth and differentiation. By day 35, cells with cerebellar identity are obtained. The ability to recapitulate the early stages of cerebellar development, especially in a 2D environment, allows researchers to answer specific questions requiring experiments with a monolayer structure. This protocol is also amenable to further modifications such as micropatterned surfaces, axonal outgrowth assays, and cell sorting to enrich the desired cell populations.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>10 mL Serological pipette</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>13-678-26D</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>1-thio-glycerol</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>M6145</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>2 mL Serological pipette</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>13-678-26B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>250 mL Filter Unit, 0.2 &#181;m aPES, 50 mm Dia</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>FB12566502</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>35 mm Easy Grip Tissue Cluture Dish</td>
			<td>Falcon</td>
			<td>353001</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>4D Nucleofector core unit</td>
			<td>Lonza</td>
			<td>276885</td>
			<td>Nucleofector</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>5 mL Serological pipette</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>13-678-25D</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>60 mm Easy Grip Tissue Culture Dish</td>
			<td>Falcon</td>
			<td>353004</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>6-well ultra-low attachment plates</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>3471</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>9&#34; Disposable Pasteur Pipets</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>13-678-20D</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Apo-transferrin</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>T1147</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Bovine serum albumin (BSA)</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A9418</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Cell culture grade water</td>
			<td>Cytiva</td>
			<td>SH30529.02</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Chemically defined lipid concentrate</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>11905031</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Chroman 1</td>
			<td>Cayman</td>
			<td>34681</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Class II, Type A2, Biological safety Cabinet</td>
			<td>NuAire, Inc.</td>
			<td>NU-540-600</td>
			<td>Hood, UV light</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Costar 24-well plate, TC treated</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>3526</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Costar 6-well plate, TC treated</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>3516</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DAPI solution</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>62248</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DMEM</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>11965092</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DMEM/F12</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>11320033</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DMSO (Dimethly sulfoxide)</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>D2438</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>DPBS+/+</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>14040133</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Emricasan</td>
			<td>Cayman</td>
			<td>22204</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Epi5 episomal iPSC reprogramming kit</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>A15960</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Essential 8-Flex</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>A2858501</td>
			<td>PSC medium with heat-stable FGF2</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>EVOS XL Core Imaging system</td>
			<td>Life Technologies</td>
			<td>AMEX1000</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Fetal bovine serum - Premium Select</td>
			<td>Atlanta Biologicals</td>
			<td>S11150</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>FGF2</td>
			<td>Peprotech</td>
			<td>100-18B</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>GlutaMAX supplement</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>35050061</td>
			<td>L-alanine-L-glutamine supplement</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Ham&#39;s F12 Nutrient Mix</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>11765054</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HERAcell VIOS 160i CO2 incubator</td>
			<td>Thermo Scientific</td>
			<td>50144906</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Human Anti-EN2, mouse</td>
			<td>Santa Cruz Biotechnology</td>
			<td>sc-293311</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Human anti-Ki67/MKI67, rabbit</td>
			<td>R&#38;D Systems</td>
			<td>MAB7617</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Human anti-PTF1a, rabbit</td>
			<td>Novus Biologicals</td>
			<td>NBP2-98726</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Human anti-TUBB3, mouse</td>
			<td>Biolegend</td>
			<td>801213</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>IMDM</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>12440053</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Insulin</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>12585</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Laminin Mouse Protein</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>23017015</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Matrigel Matrix</td>
			<td>Corning</td>
			<td>354234</td>
			<td>Basement membrane matrix</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>MEM-NEAA</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>11140050</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Mini Centrifuge</td>
			<td>Labnet International</td>
			<td>C1310</td>
			<td>Benchtop mini centrifuge</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Monarch RNA Cleanup Kit (50 &#181;g)</td>
			<td>New England BioLabs</td>
			<td>T2040</td>
			<td>Silica spin columns</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Monarch Total RNA Miniprep Kit</td>
			<td>New England BioLabs</td>
			<td>T2010</td>
			<td>Silica spin columns</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>N-2 supplement</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>17502-048</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Neurobasal medium</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>21103049</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PBS, pH 7.4</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>10010023</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>PFA 16%</td>
			<td>Electron Microscopy Sciences</td>
			<td>15710</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Polyamine supplement</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>P8483</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Poly-L-Ornithine (PLO)</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>3655</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Potassium chloride</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>746436</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>SB431542</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>54317</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>See through self-sealable pouches</td>
			<td>Steriking</td>
			<td>SS-T2 (90x250)</td>
			<td>Autoclave pouches</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Sodium citrate dihydrate&#160;</td>
			<td>Fisher Scientific</td>
			<td>S279-500</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Syringe filters, sterile, PES 0.22 &#181;m, 30 mm Dia</td>
			<td>Research Products International</td>
			<td>256131</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Trans-ISRIB</td>
			<td>Cayman</td>
			<td>16258</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TRIzol Reagent</td>
			<td>Invitrogen</td>
			<td>15596018</td>
			<td>Phenol and guanidine isothiocyanate</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>TrypLE Express Enzyme (1x)</td>
			<td>Gibco</td>
			<td>12604039</td>
			<td>Cell dissociation reagent&#160;</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Vapor pressure osmometer</td>
			<td>Wescor, Inc.</td>
			<td>Model 5520</td>
			<td>Osmometer</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Y-27632</td>
			<td>Biogems</td>
			<td>1293823</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

modeling human cerebellar development in vitro in 2d structure

The precise and timely development of the cerebellum is crucial not only for accurate motor coordination and balance but also for cognition. In addition, disruption in cerebellar development has been implicated in many neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and schizophrenia. Investigations of cerebellar development in humans have previously only been possible through post-mortem studies or neuroimaging, yet these methods are not sufficient for understanding the molecular and cellular changes occurring in vivo during early development, which is when many neurodevelopmental disorders originate. The emergence of techniques to generate human-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from somatic cells and the ability to further re-differentiate iPSCs into neurons have paved the way for in vitro modeling of early brain development. The present study provides simplified steps toward generating cerebellar cells for applications that require a 2-dimensional (2D) monolayer structure. Cerebellar cells representing early developmental stages are derived from human iPSCs via the following steps: first, embryoid bodies are made in 3-dimensional (3D) culture, then they are treated with FGF2 and insulin to promote cerebellar fate specification, and finally, they are terminally differentiated as a monolayer on poly-l-ornithine (PLO)/laminin-coated substrates. At 35 days of differentiation, iPSC-derived cerebellar cell cultures express cerebellar markers including ATOH1, PTF1&#945;, PAX6, and KIRREL2, suggesting that this protocol generates glutamatergic and GABAergic cerebellar neuronal precursors, as well as Purkinje cell progenitors. Moreover, the differentiated cells show distinct neuronal morphology and are positive for immunofluorescence markers of neuronal identity such as TUBB3. These cells express axonal guidance molecules, including semaphorin-4C, plexin-B2, and neuropilin-1, and could serve as a model for investigating the molecular mechanisms of neurite outgrowth and synaptic connectivity. This method generates human cerebellar neurons useful for downstream applications, including gene expression, physiological, and morphological studies requiring 2D monolayer formats.

Overview of the 3D to 2D cerebellar differentiation 
Cerebellar cells are generated starting from iPSCs. Figure 1A shows the overall workflow and the addition of major components for differentiation. On day 0, EBs are made by gently lifting the iPSC colonies (Figure 1B) using a pulled glass pipette in CDM containing SB431542 and Y-27632 and placed into ultra-low-attachment plates. FGF2 is added on day 2. On day 7, one-third of the medium is...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Modeling Human Cerebellar Development In Vitro in 2D Structure at JoVE.com

Modeling Human Cerebellar Development In Vitro in 2D Structure

The present protocol explains the generation of a 2D monolayer of cerebellar cells from induced pluripotent stem cells for investigating the early stages of cerebellar development.

Modeling Human Cerebellar Development In Vitro in 2D Structure

The precise and timely development of the cerebellum is crucial not only for accurate motor coordination and balance but also for cognition. In addition, ...

This method can help in studying early human cerebellar development and how it might be altered in neuropsychiatric disorders. The key advantage of this method is generating developmentally early human cerebellar cells in a 2D layer structure without performing complicated steps. It is also cost efficient.Making pull pipettes can be tricky at the beginning, but with practice and time, it gets easier to pull the pipettes in a way that will be easier to work with. Begin the experimental preparation by pulling a 22.9 centimeter Pasteur pipette approximately two centimeters below the neck, above the bunsen burner to create two glass pipettes. The thinner side will be approximately four centimeters shorter than the other.Bend the tips of the pulled side on the flame to create a smooth R, then place the pulled pipettes in autoclave sleeves and sterilize them in an autoclave. On day zero, add one milliliter of cerebellar differentiation medium supplemented with 10 micromolar Y-27632 and SB-431542 to each well of a six-well ultra-low attachment, or ULA, plate, and place it in the incubator until the lifted colonies are ready to be added to the wells. Clean the differentiated cells using a pulled glass pipette.Aspirate the medium and add one millimeter of iPSC passaging solution for each 35 millimeter dish. After three minutes of incubation at 37 degrees Celsius, aspirate the medium and add two millimeters of cerebellar differentiation medium supplemented with 10 micromolar Y-27632 and SB-431542 Under 4x magnification of a transmitted light inverted microscope, lift the colonies using the bent edge of the pulled glass pipette. Once every colony is lifted, gently transfer all the colonies to one well of the six-well ULA plate using a 10 milliliter serological pipette.Repeat this process for each iPSC plate and incubate the cells at 37 degrees Celsius with 5%carbon dioxide. On day two, add FGF2 to each well to adjust a final concentration of 50 nanograms per milliliter. On day seven, change one third of the medium by aspirating one milliliter of spent medium and replacing it with one milliliter of fresh cerebellar differentiation medium.Incubate the embryoid bodies for seven days. On day 14, swirl the plate to gather all the embryoid bodies in the center of the plate. Then tilt the plate and aspirate all the spent medium using a 1000 microliter pipetter from the edge.As the medium amount decreases, slowly lay the plate flat and continue to aspirate, leaving enough medium to avoid drawing the embryoid bodies out. Next, add three milliliters of fresh cerebellar differentiation medium supplemented with 10 micromolar Y-27632. Then transfer the embryoid bodies using a 10 milliliter serological pipette to a Poly-L-Ornithine Laminin-coated dish.On day 15, aspirate the medium and replace it with fresh cerebellar differentiation medium. On day zero, iPSC colonies were cleaned and lifted into cerebellar differentiation medium containing SB-431542 and Y-27632 and were placed into ultra-low attachment plates for generating embryoid bodies. The addition of FGF2 on day two and a change of 1/3 medium on day seven resulted in embryoid bodies showing enlargement on the 14th day.Cells started migrating outward from the embryoid bodies along the coated surface on the 15th day. The complete change of the medium to cerebellar maturation medium from the 21st day resulted in a monolayer of cells with neuronal-like morphology and complexity by the 35th day. The gene expression analysis at day 35 revealed that the cells express early cerebellar progenitor markers such as glutamatergic progenitors, ATOH1, GABAergic progenitors, PTF1 alpha, and the Purkinje progenitor cell markers KIRREL2 and SKOR2.In addition, the expression of rhombic lip marker OTX2 and mostly anterior neuron specific SIX3 were also observed. The immunofluorescent labeling of the cells harvested on the 35th day showed positive staining for the cerebellum markers EN2 and PTF1 alpha, the neuronal marker beta tubulin III, and the proliferation marker KI67. Nuclear staining with 4'6-diamidino-2-phenylindole, or DAPI, showed cell nuclei.For a successful differentiation, it is crucial to start with healthy and undifferentiated iPSC colonies and use reagents that are as freshly reconstituted as possible.

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JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

1.5K Views.  University of Iowa. This method can help in studying early human cerebellar development and how it might be altered in neuropsychiatric disorders. The key advantage of this method is generating developmentally early human cerebellar cells in a 2D layer structure without performing complicated steps. It is also cost efficient.Making pull pipettes can be tricky at the beginning, but with practice and time, it gets easier to pull the pipettes in a way that will be easier to work with. Begin the experimental ...