PUBLICATION

Morphology and cell type heterogeneities of the inner ear epithelia in adult and juvenile zebrafish (Danio rerio)

Authors
Bang, P.I., Sewell, W.F., and Malicki, J.J.
ID
ZDB-PUB-010912-7
Date
2001
Source
The Journal of comparative neurology   438(2): 173-190 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Bang, Pascal I., Malicki, Jarema
Keywords
hearing; auditory system; hair cell; macula
MeSH Terms
  • Age Factors
  • Animals
  • Cell Division
  • Epithelial Cells/chemistry
  • Epithelial Cells/cytology
  • Hair Cells, Auditory/anatomy & histology*
  • Hair Cells, Auditory/chemistry
  • Hair Cells, Auditory/growth & development
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Microscopy, Confocal
  • Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen/analysis
  • Zebrafish/anatomy & histology*
PubMed
11536187 Full text @ J. Comp. Neurol.
Abstract
Although the zebrafish has become an important model for genetic analysis of the vertebrate auditory system, a comprehensive description of the zebrafish ear has been provided for embryonic and larval development only (Haddon and Lewis [1996] J. Comp. Neurol. 365:113). Here we describe the development of sensory maculae in juvenile fish and the morphology of the adult zebrafish ear. This description was obtained via three-dimensional reconstruction of serial sections and confocal microscopy of immunolabeled preparations and includes the Weberian ossicles and fluid spaces. Phalloidin staining, which labels actin filaments of stereocilia, was used to delineate the sensory epithelia, to visualize the distribution of hair cells, to estimate their density in different areas of the maculae, and to perform hair cell counts. Morphology of ciliary bundles in different regions of the lagena, saccule, utricle, macula neglecta, and cristae was characterized with an anti-acetylated tubulin antibody and by phalloidin staining. We have identified two antibodies characterized by region-specific staining patterns in the inner ear epithelia. Zn-1 antibody staining largely correlates with the presence of short-bundle hair cells in the peripheral regions of sensory epithelia. Zn-4 antibody, on the other hand, labels a zone of epithelial cells surrounding the sensory maculae. These analyses extend previous observations of cell-type heterogeneity in both sensory and nonsensory epithelia of the fish ear.
Genes / Markers
Figures
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping