Nestin expression in the developing rat cochlea sensory epithelia.
An intermediate filament (IF), nestin, is used as an immature cell marker because nestin occurs in neural progenitors during early development. Recent cell culture studies have indicated that proliferating otic progenitor cells express nestin in vitro. However, localization of nestin in the developing inner ear has not yet been clarified. In this study, the ontogenetical expression of nestin epitopes in the rat cochlea was examined immunohistochemically. Sensory epithelial cells in the rat Corti organ (e.g. hair cells and support cells) transiently demonstrated immunoreactivity for nestin during the late embryonic period. After birth, nestin expression in the sensory epithelia disappeared gradually. The findings of this study indicate that the expression of nestin epitopes in the developing cochlea is linked with the plasticities of sensory epithelial cells, such as proliferation or differentiation.
Kojima
Ken
K
Department of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
Takebayashi
Shinji
S
Nakagawa
Takayuki
T
Iwai
Koji
K
Ito
Juichi
J
D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003051:Cochlea / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D000939:Epitopes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006198:Hair Cells, Auditory / Q000276:immunology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007382:Intermediate Filaments / Q000378:metabolism*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D064231:Nestin; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013234:Stem Cells
D015415:Biomarkers; D000939:Epitopes; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C577486:Nes protein, rat; D064231:Nestin