BioProject

The T-box transcription factor Tbx1 is expressed in the otic vesicle and surrounding periotic mesenchyme during inner ear development. More...

The T-box transcription factor Tbx1 is expressed in the otic vesicle and surrounding periotic mesenchyme during inner ear development. Mesenchymal Tbx1 is essential for inner ear development, with conditional mutants displaying defects in both auditory and vestibular systems. We have previously identified reduced expression of retinoic acid metabolic genes in the periotic mesenchyme of mesoderm conditional Tbx1 mutants, using the T-Cre mouse line, implicating retinoic acid in mesenchymal-epithelial signaling downstream of Tbx1 in the periotic mesenchyme. In order to identify downstream effectors of mesenchymal-epithelial signaling downstream of mesenchymal Tbx1, we have utilized a gene profiling approach comparing embryonic day 12.5 periotic tissue from T-Cre-mediated conditional Tbx1 mutants (Mest-KO) and conditional heterozygous control litter mates (control). Overall design: E12.5 T-Cre-mediated conditional Tbx1 mutants (Mest-KO) and control (T-Cre conditional Tbx1 heterozygotes) embryos were microdissected to isolate the otic vesicle and surrounding periotic mesenchyme. Left and right tissue from each individual embryo was pooled, and 5 control and 5 mutant embryos were analyzed on individual microarrays using Affymetrix Mouse Gene ST 1.0 chips. Less...