Sodium-hydrogen exchanger 6 (NHE6) deficiency leads to hearing loss, via reduced endosomal signalling through the BDNF/Trk pathway.

ABSTRACT: Acid-base homeostasis is critical for normal growth, development, and hearing function. The sodium-hydrogen exchanger 6 (NHE6), a protein mainly expressed in early and recycling endosomes, plays an important role in regulating organellar pH. Mutations in NHE6 cause complex, slowly progressive neurodegeneration. Little is known about NHE6 function in the mouse cochlea. Here, we found that all NHE isoforms were expressed in wild-type (WT) mouse cochlea. Nhe6 knockout (KO) mice showed significant hearing loss compared to WT littermates. Immunohistochemistry in WT mouse cochlea showed that Nhe6 was localized in the organ of Corti (OC), spiral ganglion (SG), stria vascularis (SV), and afferent nerve fibres. The middle and the inner ears of WT and Nhe6 KO mice were not different morphologically.

SUBMITTER: Kucharava K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7046661 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature