1
|
Urotensin-related gene transcripts mark developmental emergence of the male forebrain vocal control system in songbirds. Sci Rep 2019; 9:816. [PMID: 30692609 PMCID: PMC6349858 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37057-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Songbirds communicate through learned vocalizations, using a forebrain circuit with convergent similarity to vocal-control circuitry in humans. This circuit is incomplete in female zebra finches, hence only males sing. We show that the UTS2B gene, encoding Urotensin-Related Peptide (URP), is uniquely expressed in a key pre-motor vocal nucleus (HVC), and specifically marks the neurons that form a male-specific projection that encodes timing features of learned song. UTS2B-expressing cells appear early in males, prior to projection formation, but are not observed in the female nucleus. We find no expression evidence for canonical receptors within the vocal circuit, suggesting either signalling to other brain regions via diffusion or transduction through other receptor systems. Urotensins have not previously been implicated in vocal control, but we find an annotation in Allen Human Brain Atlas of increased UTS2B expression within portions of human inferior frontal cortex implicated in human speech and singing. Thus UTS2B (URP) is a novel neural marker that may have conserved functions for vocal communication.
Collapse
|
2
|
Zhou M, Sun G, Zhang L, Zhang G, Yang Q, Yin H, Li H, Liu W, Bai X, Li J, Wang H. STK33 alleviates gentamicin-induced ototoxicity in cochlear hair cells and House Ear Institute-Organ of Corti 1 cells. J Cell Mol Med 2018; 22:5286-5299. [PMID: 30256516 PMCID: PMC6201369 DOI: 10.1111/jcmm.13792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/16/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Serine/threonine kinase 33 (STK33), a member of the calcium/calmodulin‐dependent kinase (CAMK), plays vital roles in a wide spectrum of cell processes. The present study was designed to investigate whether STK33 expressed in the mammalian cochlea and, if so, what effect STK33 exerted on aminoglycoside‐induced ototoxicity in House Ear Institute‐Organ of Corti 1 (HEI‐OC1) cells. Immunofluorescence staining and western blotting were performed to investigate STK33 expression in cochlear hair cells (HCs) and HEI‐OC1 cells with or without gentamicin treatment. CCK8, flow cytometry, immunofluorescence staining and western blotting were employed to detect the effects of STK33 knockdown, and/or U0126, and/or N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine (NAC) on the sensitivity to gentamicin‐induced ototoxicity in HEI‐OC1 cells. We found that STK33 was expressed in both mice cochlear HCs and HEI‐OC1 cells, and the expression of STK33 was significantly decreased in cochlear HCs and HEI‐OC1 cells after gentamicin exposure. STK33 knockdown resulted in an increase in the cleaved caspase‐3 and Bax expressions as well as cell apoptosis after gentamicin damage in HEI‐OC1 cells. Mechanistic studies revealed that knockdown of STK33 led to activated mitochondrial apoptosis pathway as well as augmented reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation after gentamicin damage. Moreover, STK33 was involved in extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 1/2 pathway in primary culture of HCs and HEI‐OC1 cells in response to gentamicin insult. The findings from this work indicate that STK33 decreases the sensitivity to the apoptosis dependent on mitochondrial apoptotic pathway by regulating ROS generation after gentamicin treatment, which provides a new potential target for protection from the aminoglycoside‐induced ototoxicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Meijuan Zhou
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Otology, Jinan, China.,Shandong Institute of Otolaryngology, Jinan, China
| | - Gaoying Sun
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Otology, Jinan, China.,Shandong Institute of Otolaryngology, Jinan, China
| | - Lili Zhang
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Otology, Jinan, China
| | - Guodong Zhang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Otology, Jinan, China
| | - Qianqian Yang
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Otology, Jinan, China
| | - Haiyan Yin
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Otology, Jinan, China
| | - Hongrui Li
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Otology, Jinan, China
| | - Wenwen Liu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Otology, Jinan, China.,Shandong Institute of Otolaryngology, Jinan, China
| | - Xiaohui Bai
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Otology, Jinan, China.,Shandong Institute of Otolaryngology, Jinan, China
| | - Jianfeng Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Otology, Jinan, China.,Shandong Institute of Otolaryngology, Jinan, China
| | - Haibo Wang
- Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, China.,Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Otology, Jinan, China.,Shandong Institute of Otolaryngology, Jinan, China
| |
Collapse
|