Vendrell, VíctorLópez Hernández, IrisDurán Alonso, BeatrizFeijoo Redondo, AnaAbelló Sumpsi, Gina, 1980-Gálvez García, Héctor, 1989-Giráldez, FernandoLamonerie, ThomasSchimmang, Thomas2016-02-232016-08-152015Vendrell V, López-Hernández I, Durán Alonso MB, Feijoo-Redondo A, Abello G, Gálvez H et al. Otx2 is a target of N-myc and acts as a suppressor of sensory development in the mammalian cochlea. Development. 2015;142(16):2792-800. DOI: 10.1242/dev.1224650927-6467http://hdl.handle.net/10230/25927Transcriptional regulatory networks are essential during the formation and differentiation of organs. The transcription factor N-myc is required for proper morphogenesis of the cochlea and to control correct patterning of the organ of Corti. We show here that the Otx2 gene, a mammalian ortholog of the Drosophila orthodenticle homeobox gene, is a crucial target of N-myc during inner ear development. Otx2 expression is lost in N-myc mouse mutants, and N-myc misexpression in the chick inner ear leads to ectopic expression of Otx2. Furthermore, Otx2 enhancer activity is increased by N-myc misexpression, indicating that N-myc may directly regulate Otx2. Inactivation of Otx2 in the mouse inner ear leads to ectopic expression of prosensory markers in non-sensory regions of the cochlear duct. Upon further differentiation, these domains give rise to an ectopic organ of Corti, together with the re-specification of non-sensory areas into sensory epithelia, and the loss of Reissner's membrane. Therefore, the Otx2-positive domain of the cochlear duct shows a striking competence to develop into a mirror-image copy of the organ of Corti. Taken together, these data show that Otx2 acts downstream of N-myc and is essential for patterning and spatial restriction of the sensory domain of the mammalian cochlea.application/pdfeng© Company of Biologists http://dev.biologists.org/content/develop/142/16/2792.full.pdf DOI 10.1242/dev.122465CòcleaMorfogènesiImmunohistoquímicaOtx2 is a target of N-myc and acts as a suppressor of sensory development in the mammalian cochleainfo:eu-repo/semantics/articlehttp://dx.doi.org/10.1242/dev.122465CochleaInner earMouseMycOrgan of CortiOtxinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess