title: Auditory hair cell precursors immortalized from the mammalian inner ear.
abstract: Mammalian auditory hair cells are few in number, experimentally inaccessible, and do not proliferate postnatally or in vitro. Immortal cell lines with the potential to differentiate into auditory hair cells would substantially facilitate auditory research, drug development, and the isolation of critical molecules involved in hair cell biology. We have established two conditionally immortal cell lines that express at least five characteristic hair cell markers. These markers are the transcription factor Brn3.1, the alpha 9 subunit of the acetylcholine receptor, the stereociliary protein fimbrin and the myosins VI and VIIA. These hair cell precursors permit functional studies of cochlear genes and in the longer term they will provide the means to explore therapeutic methods of stimulating auditory hair cell regeneration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Rivolta
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Grix
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lawlor
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Ashmore
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Jagger
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Holley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002461:Cell Line, Transformed; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004398:Dyneins; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006198:Hair Cells, Auditory / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000081412:Myosin VIIa; D009218:Myosins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D050818:Transcription Factor Brn-3; D050819:Transcription Factor Brn-3A; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; C000631456:Myo7a protein, mouse; D000081412:Myosin VIIa; C494189:Pou4f1 protein, mouse; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic; D050818:Transcription Factor Brn-3; D050819:Transcription Factor Brn-3A; D014157:Transcription Factors; C089785:myosin VI; C026742:plastin; D018995:Myosin Heavy Chains; D009218:Myosins; D004398:Dyneins