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. 2023 Feb 8;9(6):eadf4144. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adf4144

Fig. 7. Decrease rather than increase in hearing sensitivity and active cochlear amplification in Prox1-Cx26+/− hetero-deletion mice.

Fig. 7.

(A) Prox1-Cx26−/− cKO mice have deletion of Cx26 at the cochlear supporting DCs and outer pillar cells but not at the cochlear lateral wall. Scale bar, 50 μm. (B) A high-magnitude image of the OC. An arrow indicates no Cx26 expression at DCs. Red labeling represents immunofluorescent staining for prestin (Prst). Scale bar, 20 μm. (C) Diagram of deletion of Cx26 in the DCs and outer pillar cells in Prox1-Cx26 cKO mice. Partial Cx26 expression in the ECGJ network in the cochlear sensory epithelium is deleted in the Prox1-Cx26 cKO mice, while Cx26 expression in the CTGJ network in the cochlear lateral wall remains normal. HC, Hensen cell. (D) EP in Prox1-Cx26+/− mice appears normal. (E) ABR thresholds in Prox1-Cx26+/− mice as Prox1-Cx26−/− cKO mice are significantly increased rather than decreased in comparison with those in WT mice. (F) I/O function of DPOAE in WT, Prox1-Cx26+/−, and Prox1-Cx26−/− mice. Similar to Prox1-Cx26−/− cKO mice, DPOAEs in Prox1-Cx26+/− mice are significantly decreased rather than increased in comparison with those in WT mice. *P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01, two-tailed t test.