title: Eya4-deficient mice are a model for heritable otitis media.
abstract: Otitis media is an extremely common pediatric inflammation of the middle ear that often causes pain and diminishes hearing. Vulnerability to otitis media is due to eustachian tube dysfunction as well as other poorly understood factors, including genetic susceptibility. As EYA4 mutations cause sensorineural hearing loss in humans, we produced and characterized Eya4-deficient (Eya4(-/-)) mice, which had severe hearing deficits. In addition, all Eya4(-/-) mice developed otitis media with effusion. Anatomic studies revealed abnormal middle ear cavity and eustachian tube dysmorphology; thus, Eya4 regulation is critical for the development and function of these structures. We suggest that some human otitis media susceptibility reflects underlying genetic predisposition in genes like EYA4 that regulate middle ear and eustachian tube anatomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Frederic F S
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Depreux
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Darrow
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Conner
authors.forename: Roland D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Eavey
authors.forename: M Charles
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Liberman
authors.forename: Christine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Seidman
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Seidman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000002:abnormalities*; D005064:Eustachian Tube / Q000002:abnormalities*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006319:Hearing Loss, Sensorineural / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009154:Mutation; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000235:genetics*; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C527542:Eya4 protein, mouse; D015534:Trans-Activators