Dispensability of Tubulin Acetylation for 15-protofilament Microtubule Formation in the Mammalian Cochlea

Justine Renauld,Nicolas Thelen,Odile Bartholomé,Brigitte Malgrange,Marc Thiry

doi:10.1247/csf.20057

Abstract

The development of hearing in mammals requires the formation and maturation of a highly organized and specialized epithelium known as the organ of Corti. This epithelium contains two types of cells, the sensory cells, which are the true receptors of auditory information, and the surrounding supporting cells, which are composed of a highly developed cytoskeleton essential to the architecture of the mature organ of Corti. The supporting cells are the only mammalian cells reported to contain the unusual 15-protofilament microtubules. In this paper, we show that 15-protofilament microtubules appear between the second and fourth day after birth in the pillar cells of the organ of Corti in mice. We also show that contrary to what has been described in the nematode worm Caenorhabiditis. elegans, microtubule acetylation is not essential for the formation of 15-protofilament microtubules in mice but is required for fine-tuning of their diameter.Key words: Acetylation, cytoskeleton, microtubule, inner ear, supporting cells.

Highlights

The number of pf in microtubules of the pillar cells as well as their diameter changes during the development of the auditory organ
The development of hearing in mammals requires the formation and maturation of a highly organized and specialized epithelium known as the organ of Corti
We examined the number of pf in microtubules in pillar cells in a mutant mouse depleted for acetyltransferase

Summary

Introduction

The number of pf in microtubules of the pillar cells as well as their diameter changes during the development of the auditory organ On cross sections of pillar cells at P25 (Fig. 2I and 2I’), the number of microtubules is higher compared to the previous

Results

Conclusion