FIGURE SUMMARY
Title

Analysis and functional evaluation of the hair-cell transcriptome

Authors
McDermott, B.M., Baucom, J.M., and Hudspeth, A.J.
Source
Full text @ Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA

Expression of hair-cell transcripts in the anterior macula. The schematic diagram of the left ear of a 4-day-old zebrafish larva depicts the sensory maculae (blue), cristae of the semicircular canals (green), and otoliths (gray). A red box delimits the anterior macula. In situ hybridization was performed on whole-mount embryos for selected genes identified in Table 1. A bracketed symbol for a human or mouse gene indicates a probe designed to hybridize with a zebrafish transcript for which the corresponding protein′s amino acid sequence most resembles that encoded by the indicated gene. The rims2 sense probe and the myo6 probe constituted, respectively, a negative and a positive control. (Scale bars, 5 μm.)

Kinocilia in wild-type and ift172 mutant zebrafish. (A) In a confocal image of the crista from a semicircular canal in a wild-type animal, immunolabeling of acetylated tubulin shows prominent kinocilia. (B) The corresponding image from an ift172 mutant reveals no kinocilia. For this and subsequent instances in which a receptor organ lacks kinocilia, an asterisk indicates the apical hair-cell surface. (C) Numerous kinocilia are apparent in a control preparation from the anterior macula. (D) Although the outlines of hair cells are clearly visible in the anterior macula of a mutant, all of the kinocilia but one are missing. (E) A neuromast from the lateral line of a wild-type animal displays a cluster of kinocilia. (F) The kinocilia are absent from a mutant. (Scale bars, 5 μm.)

Effect of the seahorse mutation on the kinocilia of 4-day-old zebrafish. (A) Numerous kinocilia, labeled by an antiserum against acetylated α-tubulin, protrude from the crista of semicircular canal in a wild-type animal. (B) The kinocilia of a seahorse mutant larva displays enlarged kinocilia, one with a basal swelling. (C) In another mutant animal, several kinocilia are bloated at their bases. (D) A higher-magnification view of one hair cell from a seahorse larva depicts the swollen base of a kinocilium; the arrowhead indicates the position of the hair cell′s apical surface. (Scale bars, 5μm.)

Acknowledgments
This image is the copyrighted work of the attributed author or publisher, and ZFIN has permission only to display this image to its users. Additional permissions should be obtained from the applicable author or publisher of the image. Full text @ Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA