Isolation and Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Human Fetal and iPSC-Derived Cone Photoreceptor Cells

• DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2017.10.018
• Publication Date: 2017-11-16T20:06:23Z
• Authors: Emily Welby; Jorn Lakowski; Valentina Di Foggia; Dimitri Budinger; Anai Gonzalez-Cor...; Aaron T.L. Lun; Michael Epstein; Aara Patel; Elisa Cuevas; Kamil Kruczek; Arifa Naeem; Federico Minneci; Mike Hubank; David T. Jones; John C. Marioni; Robin R. Ali; Jane C. Sowden
• Keywords: Opsin; Cell Sorting

Loss of cone photoreceptors, crucial for daylight vision, has the greatest impact on sight in retinal degeneration. Transplantation stem cell-derived L/M-opsin cones, which form 90% human population, could provide a feasible therapy to restore vision. However, transcriptomic similarities between fetal and cones remain be defined, addition development cell purification strategies. Here, we report an analysis photoreceptor transcriptome using AAV2/9.pR2.1:GFP reporter. This led identification cone-enriched gene signature, used demonstrate similar expression cones. We then defined cluster differentiation marker combination that, when sorting, significantly enriches photoreceptors from retina organoids, respectively. These data may facilitate more efficient isolation use clinical transplantation studies.