Small molecules increase direct neural conversion of human fibroblasts

Time course micro array experiment to identify transcriptional changes in response to exposure of hFLs to different combinations of small molecules during direct neuronal reprogramming hFL1 cells were transduced with conversion factors Ascl1, Brn2a and Myt1L and five days after transduction, transgene expression was activated by doxycycline. On day 3 of transgene expression, MEF medium was replaced by N2B27 medium plus small molecules, depending on the condition. Ascl1 expression was linked to GFP so that all GFP pos cells were FACS isolated at different times of exposure to small molecules (or N2B27 medium in transgene only groups). Post FACS, cells were lysed and total RNA was extracted and used as input for micro array experiments.