Otolith tethering in the zebrafish otic vesicle requires Otogelin and α-Tectorin.

ABSTRACT: Otoliths are biomineralised structures important for balance and hearing in fish. Their counterparts in the mammalian inner ear, otoconia, have a primarily vestibular function. Otoliths and otoconia form over sensory maculae and are attached to the otolithic membrane, a gelatinous extracellular matrix that provides a physical coupling between the otolith and the underlying sensory epithelium. In this study, we have identified two proteins required for otolith tethering in the zebrafish ear, and propose that there are at least two stages to this process: seeding and maintenance. The initial seeding step, in which otolith precursor particles tether directly to the tips of hair cell kinocilia, fails to occur in the einstein (eis) mutant. The gene disrupted in eis is otogelin (otog); mutations

SUBMITTER: Stooke-Vaughan GA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4360185 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature