Single cell RNA-sequencing of E8.5 stage, embryonic neural tissue from mouse

We describe a so far uncharacterized, embryonic and self-renewing Neural Border Stem Cell (NBSC) population with capacity to differentiate into central nervous and neural crest lineages. NBSCs can be obtained by neural transcription factor-mediated reprogramming (BRN2, SOX2, KLF4 and ZIC3) of human adult dermal fibroblasts and peripheral blood cells (induced Neural Border Stem Cells, iNBSCs) or by directed differentiation from human induced pluripotent stem cells. Moreover human (i)NBSCs share molecular and functional features with a novel endogenous NBSC population isolated from neural folds of E8.5 mouse embryos. Upon differentiation, iNBSCs give rise to either (1) radial glia-type stem cells, dopaminergic and serotonergic neurons, motoneurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes or (2) cells from the neural crest lineage. Here we provide single cell RNA-sequencing data of neural tissue derived from two E8.5 mouse embryos. Single cell suspension of E8.5 neural tissue was single cell sorted and RNA sequencing was performed following the Smart-seq2 protocol. In sum, pNBSCs and E8.5 neural tube cells share a similar regional identity and expression signature suggesting that pNBSCs might correspond to a population in this area of the developing brain.