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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Jan 28.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Top Dev Biol. 2003;57:1–44. doi: 10.1016/s0070-2153(03)57001-6

Figure 8.

Figure 8

These images show that directed fiber growth and even long term retention of fibers is possible without differentiated hair cells. In Brn3c null mutants, fibers grow to all sensory epithelia (A–C) and some are retained even 6 month old mice in the absence of hair cells (D, E). In FGF10 null mutant mice, there is no formation of a posterior crista (PC) but fibers grow toward this part of the ear at embryonic day 11 (F, G). However, in the absence of a posterior crista, fibers can not expand to innervate a sensory epithelium (H, I) and eventually disappear. AC, anterior crista; HC, horizontal crista; OHC’s, outer hair cells; PC, posterior crista. Bar indicates 100 μm.