BLBP-immunoreactive cells in the primary culture of neural precursors from embryonic mouse brain.

The population of neurosphere cells was studied by staining for the radial glial marker BLBP protein. An immunohistochemical study of cultures showed that neurosphere cells proliferate and retain the ability for pluripotent differentiation over 9 passages. BLBP-immunoreactive cells were present in neurospheres at all passages. However, they did not belong to the population of proliferating multipotent precursors or GFAP-positive cells. BLPB expression was detected in S-100b-positive cells of astrocyte differentiation. Our results suggest that BLBP-immunopositive cells of the radial glia in vitro loss the state of multipotent precursors and differentiate into the astroglia. Otherwise, some heterogeneous cells of the radial glia include a previously unknown linear population that differentiates into S-100b-positive astrocytes.