Fig. 7

Transdifferentiation efficiency is modulated by exogenous and endogenous cues. a Immunohistochemical identification of NeuN⁺ transdifferentiated cells in TD-chase experiments wherein pericytes were exposed to neural induction medium (NIM) for 20, 40, and 60 min and then returned to growth medium for 16 h. In TD-chase experiment, NueN^high/E2F1^low profile suggested cell cycle exit and completion of neural lineage reprogramming. Right columns demonstrate the outcome of TD-chase in pericytes conditioned by exposure to hypoxia (t = 30 min) prior to TD. b qPCR quantification of the ratio of ATOH-1 and MASH-1 to MYOD1 as a proxy for TD tendency in pericytes conditioned via serum starvation, hypoxia, and UVC irradiation prior to TD, as per schematic images. X-axis shows time points after the induction of TD. * indicates p < 0.01. c Schematic images summarize the role of exogenous and endogenous cues in programming the transdifferentiation tendency of pericytes. Height of the TD landscape is an approximation of TD propensity of pericytes