Characterization of Hair Cell-Like Cells Converted From Supporting Cells After Notch Inhibition in Cultures of the Organ of Corti From Neonatal Gerbils

Adult porcine (Sus scrofa) derived inner ear cells: Characteristics in in-vitro cultures

There is a need for an animal model that closely parallels human cochlea gestational development. This study aims to document porcine inner ear anatomy, and in vitro porcine derived inner ear cell culture characteristics. Twenty-four temporal bone were harvested from 12 adult pigs (Sus scrofa). Six were formalin fixed and their maximal diameters were measured. The cochlea duct length was determined by the insertion length of a Nucleus 22 cochlear implant in two bones. Four formalin fixed bones were sectioned for histology. Cochlear and vestibular tissues were harvested from non-fixed bones, cultured and characterized at different passages (P). Gene and protein expression of multipotent stem/progenitor (Nestin and Sox2), inner ear hair (Myosin VIIa, Prestin) and supporting (Cytokeratin 18 and Vimentin) cell markers were determined. The porcine cochlea was a 3.5 turn spiral. There was a separate vestibular compartment. The cochlear mean maximal diameter and height was 7.99 and 3.77 mm, respectively. Sphere forming cells were identified on phase-contrast microscopy. The relative mRNA expression levels of KRT18, MYO7A and SLC26A5 were significantly positively correlated in cochlear cultures; and MYO7A and SLC26A5; SOX2 and KRT18; NES and SLC26A5 genes were positively correlated in vestibular cultures (p = .037, Spearman correlation [τ] = .900). Inner ear sensory and stem cell characteristics persist in passaged porcine inner ear cells. Further work is required to establish the usefulness of porcine inner ear cell cultures to the study of human inner ear disorders.

Molecular and cytological profiling of biological aging of mouse cochlear inner and outer hair cells

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) negatively impacts quality of life in the elderly population. The prevalent cause of ARHL is loss of mechanosensitive cochlear hair cells (HCs). The molecular and cellular mechanisms of HC degeneration remain poorly understood. Using RNA-seq transcriptomic analyses of inner and outer HCs isolated from young and aged mice, we show that HC aging is associated with changes in key molecular processes, including transcription, DNA damage, autophagy, and oxidative stress, as well as genes related to HC specialization. At the cellular level, HC aging is characterized by loss of stereocilia, shrinkage of HC soma, and reduction in outer HC mechanical properties, suggesting that functional decline in mechanotransduction and cochlear amplification precedes HC loss and contributes to ARHL. Our study reveals molecular and cytological profiles of aging HCs and identifies genes such as Sod1, Sirt6, Jund, and Cbx3 as biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets for ameliorating ARHL.

Using RNA-seq, advanced imaging, and electrophysiology, Liu et al. reveal molecular and cytological profiles of aging cochlear hair cells. Their study also suggests that a functional decline in mechanotransduction and cochlear amplification precedes hair cell loss and contributes to age-related hearing loss.

Hearing Recovery Induced by DNA Demethylation in a Chemically Deafened Adult Mouse Model

Functional hair cell regeneration in the adult mammalian inner ear remains challenging. This study aimed to study the function of new hair cells induced by a DNA demethylating agent 5-azacytidine. Adult mice were deafened chemically, followed by injection of 5-azacytidine or vehicle into the inner ear. Functionality of regenerated hair cells was evaluated by expression of hair cell proteins, auditory brainstem response (ABR), and distortion-product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE) tests for 6 weeks. In the vehicle-treated group, no cells expressed the hair cell-specific protein myosin VIIa in the cochlea, whereas numerous myosin VIIa-expressing cells were found in the 5-azacytidine-treated cochlea, suggesting the regeneration of auditory hair cells. Moreover, regenerated hair cells were co-labeled with functional proteins espin and prestin. Expression of ribbon synapse proteins suggested synapse formation between new hair cells and neurons. In hearing tests, progressive improvements in ABR [5–30 dB sound pressure level (SPL)] and DPOAE (5–20 dB) thresholds were observed in 5-azacytidine-treated mice. In vehicle-treated mice, there were <5 dB threshold changes in hearing tests. This study demonstrated the ability of 5-azacytidine to promote the functional regeneration of auditory hair cells in a mature mouse model via DNA demethylation, which may provide insights into hearing regeneration using an epigenetic approach.

Promotion of In Vitro Hair Cell-like Cell Differentiation from Human Embryonic Stem Cells through the Regulation of Notch Signaling

The Notch signaling pathway plays an important role in otic neurogenesis by regulating the differentiation of inner ear hair cells and supporting cells. Notch-regulated differentiation is required for the regeneration of hair cells in the inner ear. The temporal expression pattern of Notch ligands and receptors during in vitro hair cell-like cell differentiation from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) was detected by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Subsequently, pAJ-U6-shRNA-CMV-Puro/GFP recombinant lentiviral vectors encoding short hairpin RNAs were used to silence JAG-1, JAG-2, and DLL-1, according to the temporal expression pattern of Notch ligands. Then, the effect of each ligand on the in vitro differentiation of hair cells was examined by RT-PCR, immunofluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that the individual deletion of JAG-2 or DLL-1 had no significant effect on the differentiation of hair cell-like cells. However, the simultaneous inhibition of both DLL-1 and JAG-2 increased the number of hair cell-like cells and decreased the number of supporting cells. JAG-2 and DLL-1 may have a synergistic role in in vitro hair cell differentiation.

Insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating mammalian hair cell regeneration

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To give an overview of recent advances in mammalian auditory hair cell regeneration.

RECENT FINDINGS

Supporting cells act as progenitors to regenerate hair cells in the prehearing mammalian cochlea but not in the mature cochlea. To overcome this developmental obstacle, manipulation of multiple genes and intracellular pathways has been investigated, which has obtained promising data. This review focuses on recent advances in auditory hair cell regeneration, including synergic gene regulation associated with Atoh1 and Notch signaling, epigenetics, and functional recovery of regenerated hair cells. Co-manipulation of genes critical for hair cell development and cell cycle re-entry, including Atoh1, Isl1, Pou4f3, Gata3, Gfi1, P27kip1, RB, Myc, and Notch-signaling genes, has generated hair cell-like cells in the adult cochlea both in vitro and in vivo. The epigenetic mechanism has been studied in hair cell development and regeneration. Regeneration of hair cell function has a very limited progress, which lacks in-vitro and in-vivo electrophysiology data.

SUMMARY

Regeneration of adult auditory hair cells remains a major challenge. Manipulation of multiple genes and pathways together with epigenetic regulation might potentially regenerate functional hair cells in the adult mammalian cochlea.

Spatiotemporally controlled overexpression of cyclin D1 triggers generation of supernumerary cells in the postnatal mouse inner ear

The retinoblastoma family of pocket proteins (pRBs), composed of Rb1, p107, and p130 are negative regulators of cell-cycle progression. The deletion of any individual pRB in the auditory system triggers hair cells' (HCs) and supporting cells' (SCs) proliferation to different extents. Nevertheless, accessing their combined role in the inner ear through conditional or complete knockout methods is limited by the early mortality of the triple knockout. In quiescent cells, hyperphosphorylation and inactivation of the pRBs are maintained through the activity of the Cyclin-D1-cdk4/6 complex. Cyclin D1 (CycD1) is expressed in the embryonic and neonatal inner ear. In the mature organ of Corti (OC), CycD1 expression is significantly downregulated, paralleling the OC mitotic quiescence. Earlier studies showed that CycD1 overexpression leads to cell-cycle reactivation in cultures of inner ear explants. Here, we characterize a Cre-activated, Doxycycline (Dox)-controlled, conditional CycD1 overexpression model, which when bred to a tetracycline-controlled transcriptional activator and the Atoh1-cre mouse lines, allow for transient CycD1 overexpression and pRBs' downregulation in the inner ear in a reversible fashion. Analyses of postnatal mice's inner ears at various time points revealed the presence of supernumerary cells throughout the length of the cochlea and in the vestibular end-organs. Notably, most supernumerary cells were observed in the inner hair cells' (IHCs) region, expressed myosin VIIa (M7a), and showed no signs of apoptosis at any of the time points analyzed. Auditory and vestibular phenotypes were similar between the different genotypes and treatment groups. The fact that no significant differences were observed in auditory and vestibular function supports the notion that the supernumerary cells detected in the adult mice cochlea and macular end-organs may not impair auditory functions.

Temporal Regulation of Notch Signaling and Its Influence on the Differentiation of Ex Vivo Cultured Limbal Epithelial Cells

Purpose: Notch signaling plays a vital role in the differentiation and proliferation of corneal epithelial cells from limbal stem cells. The temporal regulation of Notch signaling during this differentiation remains unknown. Hence, we investigated the importance of temporal activation/blockage of Notch signaling during corneal differentiation.Methods: Human limbal epithelial cultures were established with and without Notch activators (rec-Human Jagged1 Fc chimera) and pharmacological blockers (LY-411575). The modulation of Notch signaling was done at different time points during cell differentiation, which were collected on Day 14 for further analysis of differentiation, proliferation, maturation and apoptosis using RT-qPCR and immunofluorescence staining.Results: The activation of Notch signaling at Day 8 resulted in the highest number of mature corneal epithelial cells (p = .008) and pro-apoptosis marker BAX (p = .0001) with no increase in the number of corneal progenitors, and proliferation marker Ki67 compared to untreated controls. Cultures grown in the presence of Notch signaling blockers showed a significantly higher number of corneal progenitors (p = .0001) and proliferation marker Ki67 (p = .02) but lower corneal epithelial marker CK3/CK12 (p = .0007) and no difference in the pro-apoptotic marker BAX compared to untreated controls.Conclusion: During the differentiation of limbal epithelial cells to the corneal epithelial cell type, Day 8 seems to be a crucial window to modulate Notch signaling for a customized outcome.

Cell-Specific Transcriptome Analysis Shows That Adult Pillar and Deiters' Cells Express Genes Encoding Machinery for Specializations of Cochlear Hair Cells

The mammalian auditory sensory epithelium, the organ of Corti, is composed of hair cells and supporting cells. Hair cells contain specializations in the apical, basolateral and synaptic membranes. These specializations mediate mechanotransduction, electrical and mechanical activities and synaptic transmission. Supporting cells maintain homeostasis of the ionic and chemical environment of the cochlea and contribute to the stiffness of the cochlear partition. While spontaneous proliferation and transdifferentiation of supporting cells are the source of the regenerative response to replace lost hair cells in lower vertebrates, supporting cells in adult mammals no longer retain that capability. An important first step to revealing the basic biological properties of supporting cells is to characterize their cell-type specific transcriptomes. Using RNA-seq, we examined the transcriptomes of 1,000 pillar and 1,000 Deiters' cells, as well as the two types of hair cells, individually collected from adult CBA/J mouse cochleae using a suction pipette technique. Our goal was to determine whether pillar and Deiters' cells, the commonly targeted cells for hair cell replacement, express the genes known for encoding machinery for hair cell specializations in the apical, basolateral, and synaptic membranes. We showed that both pillar and Deiters' cells express these genes, with pillar cells being more similar to hair cells than Deiters' cells. The fact that adult pillar and Deiters' cells express the genes cognate to hair cell specializations provides a strong molecular basis for targeting these cells for mammalian hair cell replacement after hair cells are lost due to damage.