RG3 controls early specification of progenitors and neurogenesis during cortical development

초록

To identify regulators of cortical neurogenesis, we used TUBB3EGFP/NGN2TagRFP dual-reporter hiPSCs to track cortical neurogenesis and isolate neural progenitors for RNA-seq screening of candidate regulators. This revealed RG3 as a dynamically regulated transcription factor. In vivo, RG3 overexpression by in utero electroporation increased progenitor proliferation and neurogenic markers. In human iPSCs, RG3 overexpression expanded PAX6+ progenitors, while RG3 knockout impaired neuronal differentiation. ChIP-seq and luciferase assays confirmed RG3 binding and transcriptional activation of neurogenic targets. These findings identify RG3 as a novel regulator controlling progenitor expansion and neurogenesis