A gradient of Bmp7 specifies the tonotopic axis in the developing inner ear

TY - JOUR

T1 - A gradient of Bmp7 specifies the tonotopic axis in the developing inner ear

AU - Mann, Zoe F.

AU - Thiede, Benjamin R.

AU - Chang, Weise

AU - Shin, Jung-Bum

AU - May-Simera, Helen L

AU - Lovett, Michael

AU - Corwin, Jeffrey T

AU - Kelley, Matthew W

PY - 2014/5/20

Y1 - 2014/5/20

N2 - The auditory systems of animals that perceive sounds in air are organized to separate sound stimuli into their component frequencies. Individual tones then stimulate mechanosensory hair cells located at different positions on an elongated frequency (tonotopic) axis. During development, immature hair cells located along the axis must determine their tonotopic position in order to generate frequency-specific characteristics. Expression profiling along the developing tonotopic axis of the chick basilar papilla (BP) identified a gradient of Bmp7. Disruption of that gradient in vitro or in ovo induces changes in hair cell morphologies consistent with a loss of tonotopic organization and the formation of an organ with uniform frequency characteristics. Further, the effects of Bmp7 in determination of positional identity are shown to be mediated through activation of the Mapk, Tak1. These results indicate that graded, Bmp7-dependent, activation of Tak1 signalling controls the determination of frequency-specific hair cell characteristics along the tonotopic axis.

AB - The auditory systems of animals that perceive sounds in air are organized to separate sound stimuli into their component frequencies. Individual tones then stimulate mechanosensory hair cells located at different positions on an elongated frequency (tonotopic) axis. During development, immature hair cells located along the axis must determine their tonotopic position in order to generate frequency-specific characteristics. Expression profiling along the developing tonotopic axis of the chick basilar papilla (BP) identified a gradient of Bmp7. Disruption of that gradient in vitro or in ovo induces changes in hair cell morphologies consistent with a loss of tonotopic organization and the formation of an organ with uniform frequency characteristics. Further, the effects of Bmp7 in determination of positional identity are shown to be mediated through activation of the Mapk, Tak1. These results indicate that graded, Bmp7-dependent, activation of Tak1 signalling controls the determination of frequency-specific hair cell characteristics along the tonotopic axis.

KW - Animals

KW - Bone Morphogenetic Protein 7/genetics

KW - Chick Embryo

KW - Ear, Inner/embryology

KW - Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental

KW - Hair Cells, Auditory/metabolism

KW - MAP Kinase Kinase Kinases/genetics

KW - Organ of Corti/embryology

KW - Organogenesis/genetics

KW - RNA, Messenger/metabolism

KW - Signal Transduction

U2 - 10.1038/ncomms4839

DO - 10.1038/ncomms4839

M3 - Article

C2 - 24845721

SN - 2041-1723

VL - 5

JO - Nature Communications

JF - Nature Communications

M1 - 3839

ER -