Expression profiles in response to HMGA overexpression in late-stage neural precursor cells

Neural precursor cells (NPCs) in the mammalian neocortex generate various neuronal and glial cell types in a developmental stage-dependent manner. Most neocortical NPCs lose their neurogenic potential after birth. We have previously shown that high mobility group A (HMGA) proteins confer the neurogenic potential on early-stage NPCs during the midgestation period, although the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. Here we performed microarray analysis and compared expression profiles between control and HMGA2-overexpressed NPCs. Mouse neocortical neuroepithelial cells were isolated at embryonic day 11.5 and cultured as neurospheres for 9 days in vitro in the presence of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 2 and epidermal growth factor (EGF). These cells were infected with control or HMGA2-expressing retrovirus, cultured in the presence of FGF and EGF for 3 days. Half of them were collected immediately for microarray analysis, and the other half were cultured in the absence of FGF for 12 h and then collected for microarray analysis.