Grxcr2 is required for stereocilia morphogenesis in the cochlea
Fig 5
Loss of Grxcr2 function results in stereocilia orientation defects.
(A) Schematic representations of the orientation of stereocilia bundles in Grxcr2 heterozygotes and homozygous mutants are shown. Bundle orientation was calculated by identifying the kinocilium at the vertex of the bundle and the mid-point (solid black dot). The angle between a line extended through these two landmarks and a longitudinal reference line through pillar cells was measured. (B) Cochlea from a Grxcr2 heterozygote at P0 was stained with phalloidin (red) to mark the stereocilia and acetylated tubulin (green) to mark the kinocilium. The bundles appeared morphologically normal with a kinocilium at the vertex of each bundle. The angles measured show a tight distribution around 90 degrees with respect to the longitudinal axis of the cochlea. (C) Kinocilia were present at the vertex of bundles from the cochlea of a Grxcr2 homozygote at P0, but bundles were misoriented with significant deviation from 90 degrees.