Zebrafish Anatomical Dictionary
Structure description: hair cells
Name: hair
cells
Abbreviation:
hc
Synonyms: Sensory
hair cells
Figures:
Description: The
mechanosensory cell type in the ear and lateral
line systems. Hair cells are found in thickened sensory
patches, where they sit apically in a pseudostratified epithelium, and are
interspersed with supporting cells, which straddle the epithelium. Hair cells
have a well-defined apicobasal polarity, with specialised cytoskeletal structures
on their apical surfaces. These consist of a bundle of stereocilia, arranged
in a stepped array, and a single kinocilium. Stereocilia and kinocilia are embedded
in the otolithic membrane (maculae)
or a gelatinous cupula (cristae, lateral
line neuromasts). Stereocilia vary in number and length, depending on the
type of sensory patch. The eccentric location of the kinocilium relative to
the stereocilia gives each hair cell a polarity
(and thus a particular directional sensitivity) in the plane of the epithelium.
Hair cells synapse with afferent and efferent neurons on their basal surfaces.
Homologues:
- Human:
sensory hair cells
- Mouse:
sensory hair cells
- Chicken:
sensory hair cells
- Frog:
sensory hair cells
- Fly:
no direct counterparts; however, mechanosensory bristles
and chordotonal sensilla show structural, functional, molecular and developmental
parallels with ertebrate hair cells
Stages:
- First appears at:
prim
5 stage (21.5-21h, ear maculae); pec
fin stage (60h, ear cristae); long pec stage (48h, lateral line neuromasts)
- Disappears (or changes name)
at: Hair cell production
is thought to continue throughout adult life in fishes.
Parents (forms from):
cranial placodal ectoderm (otic vesicle epithelium, lateral
line epithelium); there may also be a small contribution from neural crest (Collazo
et al., 1994).
Children:
- Presumptive (thought
to give rise to): nothing
- Anlage (known to give
rise to): nothing
Group (member of):
- Anatomical (group member):
ear, lateral line
- Functional (group member):
auditory, vestibular,
lateral line systems
Markers:
- mRNA:
- Antibodies:
- Other:
Vital dyes: DASPEI (2-(4-dimethylaminostyryl)-N-ethyl pyridinium iodide) (Molecular
Probes)
FM1-43 (N-(3-triethylammoniumpropyl)-4-(4-[dibutylaminostyryl) pyridinium
dibromide) (Molecular
Probes) (Seiler
and Nicolson, 1999)
4-Di-2-Asp (4-(4-diethylaminostyryl)-N-methylpyridinium iodide (Sigma D-3418)
(Collazo
et al., 1994)
Other protein labels: fluorescein- or Alexa phalloidin (labels actin, rich
in the stereocilia)
Publications:
- Primary:
Haddon,
C. and Lewis, J. (1996) Early ear development in the embryo of the zebrafish,
Danio rerio. J. Comp. Neurol. 365:113-128.
- Secondary:
Collazo,
A., Fraser, S. E., and Mabee, P. M. (1994). A dual embryonic origin for
vertebrate mechanoreceptors. Science 264, 426-430.
Haddon,
C., Jiang, Y.-J., Smithers, L., and Lewis, J. (1998). Delta-Notch signalling
and the patterning of sensory cell differentiation in the zebrafish ear:
Evidence from the mindbomb mutant. Development 125, 4637-4644.
Haddon,
C., Mowbray, C., Whitfield, T., Jones, D., Gschmeissner, S., and Lewis,
J. (2000). Hair cells without supporting cells: further studies in the ear
of the zebrafish mind bomb mutant. Journal of Neurocytology 28, 837-850.
Parichy,
D. M., Rawls, J. F., Pratt, S. J., Whitfield, T. T., and Johnson, S. L.
(1999). Zebrafish sparse corresponds to an orthologue of c-kit and is required
for the morphogenesis of a subpopulation of melanocytes, but is not essential
for hematopoiesis or primordial germ cell development. Development 126,
3425-3436.
Riley,
B. B., Chiang, M.-Y., Farmer, L., and Heck, R. (1999). The deltaA gene of
zebrafish mediates lateral inhibition of hair cells in the inner ear and
is regulated by pax2.1. Development 126, 5669-5678.
Seiler,
C., and Nicolson, T. (1999). Defective calmodulin-dependent rapid apical
endocytosis in zebrafish sensory hair cell mutants. Journal of Neurobiology
41, 424-434.
Comments:
None
