The transcription factor Pou4f3 is essential for the survival of postnatal and adult mouse cochlear hair cells and normal hearing

Jarnail Singh; Michelle R Randle; Bradley J Walters; Brandon C Cox

doi:10.3389/fncel.2024.1369282

The transcription factor Pou4f3 is essential for the survival of postnatal and adult mouse cochlear hair cells and normal hearing

Front Cell Neurosci. 2024 Mar 19:18:1369282. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1369282. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Jarnail Singh¹, Michelle R Randle¹, Bradley J Walters², Brandon C Cox^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmacology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, United States.
² Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States.
³ Department of Otolaryngology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield, IL, United States.

Abstract

Introduction: Hair cells (HCs) of the cochlea are responsible for sound transduction and hearing perception in mammals. Genetic mutations in the transcription factor Pou4f3 cause non-syndromic autosomal dominant hearing loss in humans (DFNA15) which varies in the age of onset depending on the individual mutation. Mouse models with germline deletion or mutations in Pou4f3 have previously demonstrated its critical role in the maturation and survival of cochlear HCs during embryonic development. However, the role of Pou4f3 in auditory function and in the survival or maintenance of cochlear HCs after birth and during adulthood has not been studied.

Methods: Therefore, using the inducible CreER-loxP system, we deleted Pou4f3 from mouse cochlear HCs at different postnatal ages, relevant to specific stages of HC maturation and hearing function.

Results and discussion: Elevated auditory brainstem response thresholds and significant HC loss were detected in mice with Pou4f3 deletion compared to their control littermates, regardless of the age when Pou4f3 was deleted. However, HC loss occurred more rapidly when Pou4f3 was deleted from immature HCs. Additionally, HC loss caused by Pou4f3 deletion did not affect the number of cochlear supporting cells, but caused a delayed loss of spiral ganglion neurons at 4 months after the deletion. In conclusion, Pou4f3 is necessary for the survival of cochlear HCs and normal hearing at all postnatal ages regardless of their maturation state. Our data also suggest that Pou4f3 indirectly regulates the survival of spiral ganglion neurons.

Keywords: DFNA15; Pou4f3; hair cell maturation; hair cell survival; hearing loss.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by grants from the NIDCD (R01 DC014441 to BC) and from the NIA (R01 AG073151 to BC and BW). The Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Research Imaging Facility was supported by a grant from the Office of Naval Research (N00014-15-1-2866).