title: Anatomical expression patterns of delta-protocadherins in developing chicken cochlea.
abstract: The delta-protocadherin (δ-Pcdh) family of transmembrane proteins belongs to the cadherin superfamily, which is involved in embryogenesis mediated by a homophilic binding during the embryonic development. In the present study, expression patterns of eight members of the δ-Pcdh family were investigated in the developing chicken cochlea by in situ hybridization. Our results provide a dynamical profile to show that the δ-Pcdhs are expressed spatially and temporally in the developing chicken cochleae. The earliest onset of the δ-Pcdh expression begins in the otic vesicle from embryonic incubation day (E) 3. From E11 onwards, the individual δ-Pcdh is expressed in different cell types of the cochlea. Protocadherin-1 (Pcdh1) is mainly expressed by spindle-shaped cells and acoustic ganglion cells; Pcdh7 and Pcdh17 are strongly expressed by supporting cells, cuboidal cells, hyaline cells and acoustic ganglion cells, and Pcdh9 is prominently expressed by homogene cells and acoustic ganglion cells; Pcdh8 was found to be transcribed in hair cells, spindle-shaped cells and acoustic ganglion cells; Pcdh10 mRNA is restricted to spindle-shaped cells and acoustic ganglion cells at later stages. mRNAs of Pcdh1, Pcdh18 and Pcdh19 are also expressed in blood vessels of the cochlea. The expression of the different δ-Pcdhs suggests a functional role for them during cochlear development.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory for medical tissue regeneration of Henan province, Xinxiang Medical University, China.
authors.forename: Juntang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Congrui
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhikun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Arndt
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rolfs
authors.forename: Jiankai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D003051:Cochlea / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000502:physiology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization
chemical_list: D015820:Cadherins