Figure 4.

Fbxo2^−/− mice develop age-related cochlear degeneration. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of representative midmodiolus cochlear sections from WT and Fbxo2^−/− (KO) mice at 1.5, 5, and 11 months of age. Cellular changes begin between 1 and 3.5 months. Support cell loss and dysmorphic changes to inner sulcus cells (IsC) are evident at 1–3 months of age, followed by hair cell (four arrowheads) and neuronal degeneration in the spiral ganglion (arrow) at 3–5 months of age. Note that WT C57BL/6 mice have age-related degeneration at 11 months that is consistent with audiometric data (see Fig. 3).