This proposal seeks funding for continuing studies of the structural and functional embryology of the auditory system, and studies of hair cell regeneration in the avian inner ear. Embryological experiments will be conducted on the brainstem auditory pathways of the chick. They will concentrate on early embryological events involving cellular interactions that may underlie the development of topographic registry between successive regions of the auditory pathways. State of the art microscopic and cell marking methods win be used to investigate cell lineage, migration, and axonal terminal field formation. Functional development will be examined in the inner ear and cochlear nucleus of gerbils. Experiments are designed to examine the development of high frequency hearing, and to investigate relationships between the ontogeny of mature neuronal responses, place-code development, and nonlinear """"""""active"""""""" properties of the inner ear. Ontogenetic properties of otoacoustic emissions will be directly compared to neurophysiological response properties. Finally, cellular properties underlying hair cell regeneration will be examined in neonatal chickens. These studies include ultrastructural analyses of support cells in the auditory and vestibular epithelia, further delineation of the progenitor population, and in vitro analyses of molecular signals regulating mitotic activity.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC000395-09
Application #
2125566
Study Section
Hearing Research Study Section (HAR)
Project Start
1986-07-01
Project End
1995-06-30
Budget Start
1994-07-01
Budget End
1995-06-30
Support Year
9
Fiscal Year
1994
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Washington
Department
Otolaryngology
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
135646524
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98195
Sorensen, Staci A; Rubel, Edwin W (2011) Relative input strength rapidly regulates dendritic structure of chick auditory brainstem neurons. J Comp Neurol 519:2838-51
Seidl, Armin H; Rubel, Edwin W; Harris, David M (2010) Mechanisms for adjusting interaural time differences to achieve binaural coincidence detection. J Neurosci 30:70-80