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. 2015 Oct 15;6:8549. doi: 10.1038/ncomms9549

Figure 5. Rfx genes are necessary for hearing.

Figure 5

(a) Elevated hearing thresholds in the Rfx1/3 cKO mice: 3-month-old Rfx1 cKO and Rfx3 cKO have hearing thresholds indistinguishable from their wild-type littermate controls at 8 and 16 kHz. However, Rfx1/3 cKO mice have significantly elevated hearing thresholds compared with their age-matched controls already at postnatal day 22. Their hearing thresholds progress to a profound hearing loss as measured at P90. All strains exhibited elevated thresholds at 32 kHz at P90. Arrows indicate that mean thresholds are likely higher than those indicated because a number of animals had absent ABR at the maximum stimulus levels tested. Error bars are ±s.e.m. ‘*’ are P value<0.01 (multivariate ANOVA test for P22 data and ANOVA test for P90 data). (b) Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE) amplitudes, indicative of outer HC function, were also significantly reduced for Rfx1/3 cKO mice compared with wild-type controls. The following genotypes were tested at P22: Rfx1/3 cKO (n=4), wild type (n=10); and at P90: Rfx1 cKO (n=3), Rfx3 cKO (n=8), Rfx1/3 cKO (n=10), wild type (n=6).