巢蛋白表达与多能性相关。越来越多的证据表明巢蛋白参与毛细胞发育。这项研究的目的是研究出生后早期鼠内耳中巢蛋白表达细胞的形态和作用。使用谱系追踪巢蛋白报告小鼠系来进一步表征这些细胞。对他们的耳蜗和前庭器官进行免疫染色,并进行整体安装以进行细胞计数。我们发现在整个内耳中存在少量Nestin表达细胞。观察到三种形态类型:双极,单极,和球状。在耳蜗中的巢蛋白表达细胞中观察到有丝分裂活性,utricle,囊,还有Crista.然后在两个小鼠模型中去除毛细胞后观察巢蛋白表达细胞特征。首先,报告模型显示,消融毛细胞后,nestin在毛细胞中的表达比例明显高于对照耳蜗。然而,在追踪巢蛋白记者老鼠的血统中,在毛细胞消融后重新填充Corti器官的新毛细胞均未表达巢蛋白,巢蛋白表达细胞的形态也没有改变。总之,在耳蜗和前庭器官中鉴定了巢蛋白表达细胞。毛细胞消融后,巢蛋白表达细胞对损伤没有反应。然而,所有内耳组织中少量的巢蛋白表达细胞表现出有丝分裂活性,支持祖细胞潜能,虽然可能不参与毛细胞再生。
Nestin expression is associated with pluripotency. Growing evidence suggests nestin is involved in hair cell development. The objective of this study was to investigate the morphology and role of nestin-expressing cells residing in the early postnatal murine inner ear. A lineage-tracing nestin reporter mouse line was used to further characterize these cells. Their cochleae and vestibular organs were immunostained and whole-mounted for cell counting. We found Nestin-expressing cells present in low numbers throughout the inner ear. Three morphotypes were observed: bipolar, unipolar, and globular. Mitotic activity was noted in nestin-expressing cells in the cochlea,
utricle, saccule, and crista. Nestin-expressing cell characteristics were then observed after hair cell ablation in two mouse models. First, a reporter model demonstrated nestin expression in a significantly higher proportion of hair cells after hair cell ablation than in control cochleae. However, in a lineage tracing nestin reporter mouse, none of the new hair cells which repopulated the organ of Corti after hair cell ablation expressed nestin, nor did the nestin-expressing cells change in morphotype. In conclusion, Nestin-expressing cells were identified in the cochlea and vestibular organs. After hair cell ablation, nestin-expressing cells did not react to the insult. However, a small number of nestin-expressing cells in all inner ear tissues exhibited mitotic activity, supporting progenitor cell potential, though perhaps not involved in hair cell regeneration.