| Popis: |
During cochlear development, the Notch ligand JAGGED 1 (JAG1) plays an important role in the specification of the prosensory region, which gives rise to sound-sensing hair cells and neighboring supporting cells (SCs). While JAG1’s expression is maintained in SCs through adulthood, the function of JAG1 in SC development is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that JAG1 is essential for the formation and maintenance of Hensen cells (HeCs), a highly specialized SC-subtype located at the edge of the auditory epithelium. Deletion ofJag1at the onset of differentiation, at stage E14.5, disrupted HeC formation. Similar loss of HeCs was observed whenJag1was deleted at P0/P1 and fate-mapping analysis revealed that in the absence ofJag1some HeCs die, but others convert into neighboring Claudius cells. In support of a role for JAG1 in cell survival, genes involved in mitochondrial function and protein synthesis were downregulated in P0 cochlea lackingJag1. |
