Generation of iRGCs outside of their developmental window using Pou4f2

Retinal ontogenesis is characterized by two developmental windows: the early retinal progenitors (early RPCs) generate retinal ganglion cells, cones, horizontal cells, and most of the amacrine cells, and the late retinal progenitors (late RPCs) generate bipolar cells, Müller glia and most of the rods. Different aspects regulate competence, specification, and cell differentiation, which include epigenetic factors and specific networks of transcription factors. Our previous study showed that the overexpression of Klf4 generates induced-RGCs (iRGCs) from late RPCs through the reactivation of an RGC-specific molecular program (Development 146:16,2019).