Identification of neural progenitor cell-like cells in the lateral ventricle of mouse early embryo

Additional cell types, distinct from neuroepithelial cells, have been discovered in the lateral ventricle of the telencephalon during brain development. Certain cells inside the craniofacial mesenchyme are believed to originate from the neural crest, but the cells within the lateral ventricle have not yet been identified. In order to ascertain the identification of these cells, we conducted single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on the cells in the lateral ventricle of E10.5 embryos. The scRNA-seq data were analyzed alongside transcript data from other brain-derived cells, enabling the identification of the unknown-single cells as neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Out of the genes found in the unknown-single cells, the expression of several genes related to brain progenitor cells were confirmed by qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, and whole-body expansion microscopy techniques. The holotomography study revealed the presence of a nucleus and mitochondria in these cells, indicating their viability. The confirmation of this finding was achieved using BrdU incorporation assay. While we have discovered cells in the lateral ventricle that resemble neural progenitors during early development, we have not yet seen their whole life cycle in a long-term cell culture. To get a comprehensive understanding of the activities and migratory process of these cells during early corticogenesis, a more detailed study will be performed.