Amniotic-Fluid Stem Cells: Growth Dynamics and Differentiation Potential after a CD-117-Based Selection Procedure
Figure 6
HNK-1 expression in AF cells as a confirmation of neuronal differentiation capacity in the CD 117 positive and negative cell fraction and under hypoxic (2% O2) culture conditions. (a) Moderate HNK-1 (orange fluorescence, arrow) expression in unselected cells and (b) a weak expression of the early neuronal marker HNK-1 (arrow). (c) While there is a stronger HNK-1 expression in CD 117 negative cell fraction detectable (arrows), (d) graphical display about the quantification of HNK-1 expression in the unselected, CD117+ and CD117− cell fractions. (*)significant increase of HNK-1 immunopositive cells compared to control. Secondary antibodies are Cy2 conjugated (red to orange fluorescence. The whole cell population is detected with the Hoechst dye nuclear stain (blue fluorescence) (, ). Scale bar in (a–f) = 25 μm.
