Fate-restricted retinal progenitor cells adopt a molecular profile and spatial position distinct from multipotent progenitor cells

Here we report a transcriptomic analysis of fate-restricted progenitor cells biased to produce cone photoreceptors and horizontal cells, marked by the THRB cis-regulatory element ThrbCRM1. Comparison to a control population enriched in multipotent progenitor cells identified several genes considered to be pan-progenitor, such as VSX2, LHX2, and PAX6, as downregulated in these fate-restricted retinal progenitor cells Comparison of two FACS-sorted chick retinal progenitor cell populations after electroporation of reporter plasmids and 20hr culture.