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Cadherin-2 Participates In The Morphogenesis Of The Zebrafish Inner Ear, Sherry Babb-Clendenon, Yu-Chi Shen, Qin Liu, Katharyn E. Turner, M. Susan Mills, Greg W. Cook, Caroline A. Miller, Vincent H. Gattone Ii, Kate F. Barald, James A. Marrs

Qin Liu

Molecular mechanisms that control inner ear morphogenesis from the placode to the three-dimensional functional organ are not well understood. We hypothesize that cell-cell adhesion, mediated by cadherin molecules, contributes significantly to various stages of inner ear formation. Cadherin-2 (Cdh2) function during otic vesicle morphogenesis was investigated by examining morpholino antisense oligonucleotide knockdown and glass onion (glo) ( Cdh2 mutant) zebrafish embryos. Placode formation, vesicle cavitation and specification occurred normally, but morphogenesis of the otic vesicle was affected by Cdh2 deficiency: semicircular canals were reduced or absent. Phalloidin staining of the hair cell stereocillia demonstrated that cadherin-2 (cdh2) loss-of-function did not …