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Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Isolation and Culture of Mouse Cortical Astrocytes
11:25

Isolation and Culture of Mouse Cortical Astrocytes

Published on: January 19, 2013

An FGF-responsive astrocyte precursor isolated from the neonatal forebrain.

Grace Lin1, James E Goldman

  • 1Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.

Glia
|November 26, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Postnatal rat forebrain contains astrocyte precursor cells (APCs) that differentiate into mature astrocytes. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) promotes proliferation but not differentiation of these cells.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Gliogenesis, the process of generating glial cells, extends into the early postnatal period in mammals.
  • Astrocytes, crucial glial cells, are generated well into the first two postnatal weeks.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To isolate and characterize astrocyte precursor cells (APCs) from the postnatal rat forebrain.
  • To investigate the role of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in APC proliferation and differentiation.

Main Methods:

  • Isolation of A2B5(+) astrocyte precursor cells (APCs) from postnatal rat forebrain.
  • Culture of APCs in serum-free medium to observe differentiation.
  • Treatment of APC cultures with bFGF and other mitogenic factors.
  • Transplantation of APCs into the neonatal rat forebrain.

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Last Updated: Jun 27, 2026

Isolation and Culture of Mouse Cortical Astrocytes
11:25

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Published on: January 19, 2013

Sex Differences in Mouse Hippocampal Astrocytes after In-Vitro Ischemia
08:32

Sex Differences in Mouse Hippocampal Astrocytes after In-Vitro Ischemia

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Main Results:

  • Isolated APCs differentiate into mature astrocytes in vitro without additional trophic support.
  • bFGF selectively induces APC proliferation, forming vimentin(+) cell clusters that mature into GFAP(+) astrocytes within two weeks.
  • bFGF is not required for astrocyte differentiation and cannot maintain APCs in a proliferative state.
  • APCs exit the cell cycle and differentiate even in the presence of mitogens; re-entry into the cell cycle was not observed.
  • Transplanted APCs exclusively differentiate into astrocytes in the neonatal forebrain, concentrating in the subventricular zone (SVZ) and white matter.

Conclusions:

  • Postnatal rat forebrain harbors A2B5(+) astrocyte precursor cells capable of autonomous differentiation.
  • bFGF acts as a mitogen for APCs but does not direct their differentiation pathway.
  • APCs persist in specific brain regions like the SVZ and white matter for at least four weeks postnatally.