PRRX2 and HEY2 double knock-down facilitates ASCL1-induced neuron conversion in human dermal fibroblasts II

Forced expression of ASCL1, Nurr1, Lmx1a, miRNA-124 and p53shRNA (ANLmp) in fibroblasts reprograms fibroblasts to induced dopaminergic neurons (iDA). While human lung fibroblasts can be converted rapidly and efficiently, iDA of dermal fibroblast is very unefficient and incompleted. To address this issue,  we performed time series RNAseq on both lung and dermal fibroblasts during the first several days of ANLmp induced neuron convertion. Bioinformatics analysis revealed the stable fibroblast gene regulatory network (GRN) was a potential repressive factor for iDA in human dermal fibroblasts. Time serial comparison of transcriptomes of non-isogenic human skin fibroblasts C002 and human lung fibroblasts MRC5 during their transdifferentiation to dopaminergic neuron induced by ANLmp.