Specific expression of Gsta4 in mouse cochlear melanocytes: a novel role for hearing and melanocyte differentiation.
Mammalian pigment cells produce melanin as the main pigment. Melanocytes, one of the two types of mammalian pigment cells, differentiate from the neural crest and migrate to a variety of organs during development. Melanocytes exist not only in the skin but also in other sites such as the cochlea where they are essential for hearing. Mitf(mi-bw) is one of the known recessive alleles of the mouse microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (Mitf) locus, which is essential for the development of pigment cells. Homozygous Mitf(mi-bw)/Mitf(mi-bw) mice have a completely white coat with black eyes and are deaf due to the lack of melanocytes. By comparing gene expression profiles in cochleae of wild-type and Mitf(mi-bw)/Mitf(mi-bw) mice, we now demonstrate the specific expression of glutathione S-transferase alpha 4 (Gsta4) in the stria vascularis. Gsta4 encodes one of the cytosolic glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) which participate in detoxification processes of many tissues. This gene is specifically expressed in intermediate cells of the stria vascularis, suggesting a novel function for cochlear melanocytes. Moreover, among mammalian pigment cells, expression of Gsta4 was restricted to cochlear melanocytes, suggesting that melanocytes in various tissues differentiate from one another depending on their location.
Uehara
Shigeyuki
S
Department of Developmental Biology and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
Izumi
Yoshiko
Y
Kubo
Yuko
Y
Wang
Chi Chiu
CC
Mineta
Katsuhiko
K
Ikeo
Kazuho
K
Gojobori
Takashi
T
Tachibana
Masayoshi
M
Kikuchi
Toshihiko
T
Kobayashi
Toshimitsu
T
Shibahara
Shigeki
S
Taya
Choji
C
Yonekawa
Hiromichi
H
Shiroishi
Toshihiko
T
Yamamoto
Hiroaki
H
D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003051:Cochlea / Q000166:cytology*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D051739:Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor / Q000502:physiology*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D015347:RNA Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013316:Stria Vascularis / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
D007527:Isoenzymes; D051739:Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor; C497235:Mitf protein, mouse; D015347:RNA Probes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D005982:Glutathione Transferase; C119995:glutathione S-transferase alpha