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Abstract
Multipotential CNS stem cells receive and implement instructions governing differentiation
to diverse neuronal and glial fates. Exploration of the mechanisms generating the
many cell types of the brain depends crucially on markers identifying the stem cell
state. We describe a gene whose expression distinguishes the stem cells from the more
differentiated cells in the neural tube. This gene was named nestin because it is
specifically expressed in neuroepithelial stem cells. The predicted amino acid sequence
of the nestin gene product shows that nestin defines a distinct sixth class of intermediate
filament protein. These observations extend a model in which transitions in intermediate
filament gene expression reflect major steps in the pathway of neural differentiation.