Abstract
For mammalian cochlear hair cells, fate determination is normally completed by birth. We report here that overexpression of Math1, a mouse homolog of the Drosophila gene atonal, in postnatal rat cochlear explant cultures resulted in extra hair cells. Surprisingly, we found that the source of the ectopic hair cells was columnar epithelial cells located outside the sensory epithelium in the greater epithelial ridge, which normally give rise to inner sulcus cells. Moreover, Math1 expression also facilitated conversion of postnatal utricular supporting cells into hair cells. Thus Math1 was sufficient for the production of hair cells in the ear, and immature postnatal mammalian inner ears retained the competence to generate new hair cells.
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
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Cell Count / drug effects
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Cell Differentiation / drug effects
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Cell Differentiation / genetics
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Cells, Cultured
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Ear, Inner / cytology*
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Ear, Inner / embryology
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Epithelial Cells / cytology
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Epithelial Cells / drug effects
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Epithelial Cells / metabolism
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Genes, Reporter / genetics
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Green Fluorescent Proteins
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Hair Cells, Auditory / drug effects
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Hair Cells, Auditory / growth & development*
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Hair Cells, Auditory / metabolism
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Hair Cells, Auditory / ultrastructure
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Immunohistochemistry
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Indoles / pharmacokinetics
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Luminescent Proteins / genetics
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Mice
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Plasmids / genetics
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Rats
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Recombinant Fusion Proteins / biosynthesis
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Recombinant Fusion Proteins / genetics
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Saccule and Utricle / cytology
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Saccule and Utricle / drug effects
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Transcription Factors / biosynthesis*
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Transcription Factors / genetics
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Transcription Factors / pharmacology
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Transfection
Substances
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Atoh1 protein, mouse
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Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
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Indoles
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Luminescent Proteins
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Recombinant Fusion Proteins
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Transcription Factors
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Green Fluorescent Proteins
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DAPI