Absence of Atoh1 induced partially different cell fates of cochlear and vestibular sensory epithelial cells in mice

Abstract

Background： Atoh1, also named Math1, is essential for the development of inner ear hair cells. Many studies have confirmed that the absence of Atoh1 resulted in a total loss of inner ear hair cells, which indicates that Atoh1 plays very similar roles in the development of hair cells in the cochlea and vestibule.

Objective： The aim of this study was to evaluate whether Atoh1 plays different roles in the cochlea and vestibule.

Material and methods: We generated Atoh1-null mice by inbreeding Atoh1^cre/+ heterozygous mice and compared with the epithelial cell status of the cochlea and vestibule.

Results: We found that no inner ear hair cells were detected in Atoh1-null mice. However, a different cell status was found in the mutant cochlea and vestibule on the last embryonic day (E18.5). In the Atoh1-null cochlea, the epithelial cells that should develop into hair cells were totally absent, while in the Atoh1-null vestibule, most of the epithelial cells that should develop into hair cells still survived.

Conclusions: Our data indicate that Atoh1 may have similar but partially different functions in the development of hair cells in the cochlea and vestibule.

背景：Atoh1, 也叫Math1, 是内耳毛细胞发育所必需的。许多研究证实, Atoh1的缺失导致内耳毛细胞的完全丧失, 表明Atoh1在耳蜗毛细胞和前庭毛细胞的发育中起着非常相似的作用。

目的：探讨Ato1在耳蜗和前庭中的作用是否不同。

材料与方法：用Atoh1^cre/+ 杂合子小鼠近交产生无Atoh1小鼠, 并对它们的耳蜗和前庭上皮细胞状态进行比较。

结果：我们发现无Atoh1小鼠未检测到内耳毛细胞。然而, 在胚胎最后一天（E18.5）, 变异耳蜗和前庭中发现了不同的细胞状态。在无Atoh1耳蜗中, 应发育成毛细胞的上皮细胞完全缺失, 而在无Atoh1前庭中, 应发育成毛细胞的大多数上皮细胞仍然存活。

结论：我们的数据表明, Atoh1在耳蜗毛细胞和前庭毛细胞的发育中可能具有相似但部分不同的功能.

Keywords:

• Atoh1
• hair cells
• development
• cochlea
• vestibule
• different function

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 81470698]; Beijing Natural Science Foundation [grant number 7172176]; and Scientific Project of Young and Middle-aged Researcher of PUMCH [grant number ONoR.pCuImDch-2013-007].