Generation of a knock-in MAP2-tdTomato reporter human embryonic stem cell line with inducible expression of NEUROG2/1 (NYGCe001-A)

Abstract Overexpression of NEUROG2 and NEUROG1 (NEUROG2/1) in human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) rapidly produces functional networks of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. To facilitate the use of this efficient inducible human neuron model in neuroscience research, we generated hESCs with doxycycline-inducible NEUROG2/1 via lentivirus and a tdTomato fluorescent reporter knock-in at the MAP2 locus using the CRISPR nuclease Cas9. Upon doxycycline-driven induction of NEUROG2/1, these hESCs differentiate within days into cells that are uniformly MAP2 immunoreactive and tdTomato fluorescent.