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The role of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling in proliferation and regeneration of the developing basilar papilla and lateral line
Author(s) -
Jacques Bonnie E.,
Montgomery William H.,
Uribe Phillip M.,
Yatteau Andrew,
Asuncion James D.,
Resendiz Genesis,
Matsui Jonathan I.,
Dabdoub Alain
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
developmental neurobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.716
H-Index - 129
eISSN - 1932-846X
pISSN - 1932-8451
DOI - 10.1002/dneu.22134
Subject(s) - wnt signaling pathway , zebrafish , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , hair cell , catenin , signal transduction , regeneration (biology) , lrp5 , beta catenin , inner ear , anatomy , genetics , gene
Canonical Wnt/β‐catenin signaling has been implicated in multiple developmental events including the regulation of proliferation, cell fate, and differentiation. In the inner ear, Wnt/β‐catenin signaling is required from the earliest stages of otic placode specification through the formation of the mature cochlea. Within the avian inner ear, the basilar papilla (BP), many Wnt pathway components are expressed throughout development. Here, using reporter constructs for Wnt/β‐catenin signaling, we show that this pathway is active throughout the BP (E6‐E14) in both hair cells (HCs) and supporting cells. To characterize the role of Wnt/β‐catenin activity in developing HCs, we performed gain‐ and loss‐of‐function experiments in vitro and in vivo in the chick BP and zebrafish lateral line systems, respectively. Pharmacological inhibition of Wnt signaling in the BP and lateral line neuromasts during the periods of proliferation and HC differentiation resulted in reduced proliferation and decreased HC formation. Conversely, pharmacological activation of this pathway significantly increased the number of HCs in the lateral line and BP. Results demonstrated that this increase was the result of up‐regulated cell proliferation within the Sox2‐positive cells of the prosensory domains. Furthermore, Wnt/β‐catenin activation resulted in enhanced HC regeneration in the zebrafish lateral line following aminoglycoside‐induced HC loss. Combined, our data suggest that Wnt/β‐catenin signaling specifies the number of cells within the prosensory domain and subsequently the number of HCs. This ability to induce proliferation suggests that the modulation of Wnt/β‐catenin signaling could play an important role in therapeutic HC regeneration. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 74: 438–456, 2014