title: The role of Paraxial Protocadherin in Xenopus otic placode development.
abstract: Vertebrate inner ear develops from its rudiment, otic placode, which later forms otic vesicle and gives rise to tissues comprising the entire inner ear. Although several signaling molecules have been identified as candidates responsible for inner ear specification and patterning, many details remain elusive. Here, we report that Paraxial Protocadherin (PAPC) is required for otic vesicle formation in Xenopus embryos. PAPC is expressed strictly in presumptive otic placode and later in otic vesicle during inner ear morphogenesis. Knockdown of PAPC by dominant-negative PAPC results in the failure of otic vesicle formation and the loss of early inner ear markers Sox9 and Tbx2, suggesting the requirement of PAPC in the early stage of otic vesicle development. However, PAPC alone is not sufficient to induce otic placode formation.
authors: Laboratory of Molecular Cell Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yue Yang Road, Shanghai 200031, China.
authors: Rui-Ying
authors: RY
authors: Hu
authors: Peng
authors: P
authors: Xu
authors: Yue-Lei
authors: YL
authors: Chen
authors: Xin
authors: X
authors: Lou
authors: Xiaoyan
authors: X
authors: Ding