Fig. 5: Afferent neuronal segregation pattern in the utricle is affected by ectopic Emx2 expression in either HCs or supporting cells.
From: Function of bidirectional sensitivity in the otolith organs established by transcription factor Emx2
a–c’ Anti-β spectrin staining showing hair bundle orientation in the medial utricle is towards the lateral, which is reversed in Gfi1Cre; RosaEmx2 utricles (b’, white arrows, n = 3) but normal in PlpCreER; RosaEmx2 utricles (c’, yellow arrows, n = 5). d–f Neuronal dye tracing from the cerebellum (green) and brainstem (magenta) in control (d, n = 5), Gfi1Cre; RosaEmx2 (e, n = 10) and PlpCreER; RosaEmx2 utricles treated with tamoxifen at E13.5 (f, n = 13). Neuronal dye tracing is not well segregated in Gfi1Cre; RosaEmx2 (e) and PlpCreER; RosaEmx2 utricles (f) as in controls (d). g The reduction in relative cb signal from lateral to intermed_medial region was not significant for Gfi1Cre; RosaEmx2 utricles (n = 8) but significant for PlpCreER; RosaEmx2 utricles (n = 10) (Dunn’s pairwise tests, Gfi1Cre; RosaEmx2, z = 1.70, p = 0.09; PlpCreER; RosaEmx2, z = 4.29, p = 3.5E−05). Compared to controls (n = 4), there was no significant difference in the relative cb signal in the lateral region but a significant increase in the intermed_medial and medial regions of Gfi1Cre; RosaEmx2 and PlpCreER; RosaEmx2 utricles (control vs. Gfi1Cre; RosaEmx2, intermed_medial, z = -4.45, p = 2.6E−05; medial, z = -3.37, p = 0.0011; control vs. PlpCreER; RosaEmx2, intermed_medial, z = -2.65, p = 0.012; medial, z = -3.53, p = 0.0013). The two-sided Dunn’s pairwise comparison tests were applied. In boxplots, boxes represent the interquartile range (IQR), and the thick lines inside show the median. Whiskers denote the lowest and highest values within 1.5 times the IQR. h Schematic of hair bundle orientation and afferent neuronal innervation pattern in control, Gfi1Cre; RosaEmx2 and PlpCreER; RosaEmx2 utricles. Scale bar = 100 μm in a–c, d–f; 25 μm in a’–c’. Source data are provided as a Source data file.
