Noise-Induced Dysregulation of Quaking RNA Binding Proteins Contributes to Auditory Nerve Demyelination and Hearing Loss.

ABSTRACT: Noise exposure causes auditory nerve (AN) degeneration and hearing deficiency, though the proximal biological consequences are not entirely understood. Most AN fibers and spiral ganglion neurons are ensheathed by myelinating glia that provide insulation and ensure rapid transmission of nerve impulses from the cochlea to the brain. Here we show that noise exposure administered to mice of either sex rapidly affects myelinating glial cells, causing molecular and cellular consequences that precede nerve degeneration. This response is characterized by demyelination, inflammation, and widespread expression changes in myelin-related genes, including the RNA splicing regulator Quaking (QKI) and numerous QKI target genes. Analysis of mice deficient in QKI revealed that QKI production in coch

SUBMITTER: Panganiban CH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5858596 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature