First published online 17 September 2008
doi: 10.1242/dev.012237
Development 135, 3425-3434 (2008)
Published by The Company of Biologists 2008
Eya4 regulation of Na+/K+-ATPase is required for sensory system development in zebrafish
Libin Wang1,2,
William F. Sewell3,
Sang D. Kim1,
Jordan T. Shin4,
Calum A. MacRae4,
Leonard I. Zon2,5,
J. G. Seidman1,2,* and
Christine E. Seidman1,2,*,
1 Harvard Medical School, Department of Genetics, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur,
Boston, MA 02115, USA.
2 Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston, MA 02115,
USA.
3 Department of Otolaryngology and Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical
School and MEEI, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
4 Developmental Biology Laboratory and Cardiovascular Research Center,
Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA.
5 Stem Cell Program and Division of Hematology/Oncology, Children's Hospital
Boston and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA
02115, USA.

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Fig. 1. eya4 expression during otic vesicle development. Wild-type
embryos were hybridized to DIG-labeled eya4 antisense RNA probes.
Lateral (A-C) and dorsal (E) views of single otic vesicles;
(D) dorsal view of two otic vesicles. eya4 signal (arrows) at
24 hpf (A) and 36 hpf (B) demarcated the developing sensory epithelia (SE) and
neuroblast (NB). At 72 hpf (C), expression was maintained in the anterior,
lateral and posterior cristae (AC, LC and PC, respectively) of the sensory
epithelia. At 48 hpf (D,E), eya4 signal was more diffuse within the
otic vesicle and was prominent in the anterior macula (AM) and pharyngeal arch
(PA; E). Background signal with eya4 sense RNA probe was minimal
(data not shown). D, dorsal; V, ventral; A, anterior; P, posterior; M, medial;
L, lateral.
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Fig. 2. Three-dimensional reconstruction of the zebrafish otic vesicle (72 hpf)
generated from confocal images. (A) The otic vesicle of the
wild-type zebrafish has well-formed epithelial pillars (EP) that shape the
semicircular canals. The anterior cristae (AC), lateral cristae (LC) and
anterior maculae (AM) are indicated. (B) The otic vesicle of an
eya4 morphant fish is smaller and misshapened, with fused epithelial
pillars and malformed semicircular canals.
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Fig. 3. Otic vesicle morphology in wild-type and morphant fish (72 hpf).
(A) Schematic of the normal otic vesicle structures visualized by
differential interference contrast (DIC) imaging. Anterior, lateral and
posterior cristae (AC, LC and PC, respectively) have differentiated into
anterior, lateral and posterior semicircular canals (ASC, LSC and PSC,
respectively) that are portioned by epithelial pillars (EP) inside the otic
vesicle. (B) DIC image of the otic vesicle in wild-type fish reveals
normal structures. (C,D) DIC images of otic vesicles from
eya4 morphant fish show aborted protrusions of presumptive epithelial
pillars (asterisks) into the vesicle and malformed canals. (E,F)
DIC images of atp1b2b morphant fish otic vesicles show incomplete
fusion and diminutive epithelial pillars (asterisks), which resemble those of
the eya4 morphants. (G-I) atp1b2b mRNA-rescued
eya4 morphant fish otic vesicles were still smaller than wild type,
but were larger than eya4 morphant vesicles. Canal formation was
partially (# in H,I) or nearly completely restored (G) as a result of the more
mature epithelial pillars.
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Fig. 4. Compromised hair cell development eya4 morphant fish.
(A) At 72 hpf the ampulla of the posterior cristae of wild-type fish
(n=10) have delicate hair cell stereocilia (stained with FITC-labeled
phalloidin) that appear as spikes. (B) Stereocilia in hair cells of
eya4 morphant fish (n=12) are dysmorphic and reduced in
number.
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Fig. 5. Reduced numbers of neuromast hair cells in eya4 morphant
fish. Wild-type (A) and eya4 morphant (B) fish were
stained with DASPEI, and neuromast hair cells were imaged and counted
(C).
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Fig. 6. atp1b2b expression in zebrafish embryos (72 hpf).
(A) Whole-mount in situ hybridization with DIG-labeled atp1b2b
antisense probe revealed expression in the otic vesicle, neuromast (NM),
retina (R) and pectoral fin (PF). (B) Higher resolution image of
atp1b2b expression in a lateral view of the otic vesicle with robust
signals in the anterior macula (AM), and the anterior, lateral and posterior
cristae (AC, LC and PC, respectively) in wild type. (C) In the
eya4 morphant otic vesicle, atp1b2b expression was notably
reduced in the AC, LC, PC and AM. (D) In situ hybridization of sections
using a radiolabeled atp1b2b antisense probe show atp1b2b
expression in the heart. Expression in the ventricle (V) is greater than in
the atrium (A). DIG and radiolabeled atp1b2b sense probes produced
low background signals (data not shown). (E) Fluorescent signal
(arrowhead) detected at 72 hpf in zebrafish injected with plasmid
pβ2bprom confirmed atp1b2b promoter activity and EGFP
expression. (F) Semi-quantitative RT-PCR (see Materials and methods)
showed reduced atp1b2b expression in eya4 morphant fish
compared with wild type. MO3eya4 did not alter eya1 expression
(Schonberger et al., 2005 ).
Semi-quantitative RT-PCR on other Na+/K+-ATPase subunits
that were expressed in the otic vesicle, including atp1a1a.1, atp1a1a.2,
atp1a1a.4, atp1b1a and atp1a1a.5, are also shown.
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Fig. 7. Phenotypes of atp1b2b morphant fish (72 hpf). (A)
Otic vesicles from wild-type embryos contained two otoliths (arrowheads).
(B,C) atp1b2b morphant fish lacked one (B) or both
(asterisk, C) otoliths and had ventral protuberances due to pericardial
effusion (arrows), consistent with cardiac failure. (D)
atp1b2b morphant neuromasts had significantly fewer hair cells than
wild-type embryos. (E) Cardiac ventricular chamber sizes were smaller
and contractile cycle length was longer (corresponding to slower heart rate)
in atp1b2b morphant fish compared with wild-type fish. SSAx, systolic
short axis; DSAx, diastolic short axis; CL, cycle length.
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Fig. 8. atp1b2b mRNA rescued eya4 morphant phenotypes.
(A,B) The hearts of atp1b2b mRNA-rescued eya4
morphant fish (A) lacked pericardial effusion, visible in eya4
morphant fish (arrow, B).
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© The Company of Biologists Ltd 2008