Phenotype Image Detail

Image

Caption

Mineral morphology and composition across different progressive stages. A schematic illustration of the inner ear summarizing the morphological differences of the ear stones at three points, P0, 7 months, and 10 months, is shown (left panel). Left and right panel, SEM images of the minerals from the utricle (left panel) and saccule (right panel). A and B, otoconia from wild-type mice. The image shows the small (~7um) otoconia with typical morphology (inset in A and B). D and E, minerals extracted from the utricle (D) and saccule (E) of newborn Slc26a4^loop/Slc26a4^loop mutant mice. The utricle minerals are larger; both types have altered morphology relative to wild-type otoconia and show smooth surfaces. G and H, minerals extracted from 7 month-old Slc26a4^loop/Slc26a4^loop mutant mice. Although in the utricle, no changes can be observed as compared with the minerals of newborn mice, the saccule contained an abnormal giant stone with a variety of morphological characteristics. SEM images showed that parts of this stone resemble the morphology of weddellite, calcium oxalate dihydrate (inset in H). J and K, minerals extracted from 10-month-old Slc26a4^loop/Slc26a4^loop mutant mice. The minerals in the utricle appear similar to the minerals found at earlier stages (J). In the saccule, a new type of mineral can be found instead of the giant calcitic crystals observed earlier. These minerals have a crystal morphology typical of calcium oxalate dihydrate (weddellite) crystals. C, F, I, and L, normalized FTIR spectra of minerals extracted from the saccule and utricle at different developmental stages. The parts of the spectra in the range below 1000 cm^-1 are expanded to reveal the details. C, wild-type crystals. The spectrum of wild-type otoconia shows the typical calcite vibrations at 713, 875, and 1422 cm^-1. The spectrum also shows large contribution from organic components at 1638 and around 1047 cm^-1. F, spectrum of the mineral extracted from the saccule and utricle in newborn Slc26a4^loop/Slc26a4^loop mutant mice. I, spectrum of the mineral extracted from the saccule in Slc26a4^loop/Slc26a4^loop mutant mice at the age of 7 months. Note broadening of the peak at 713 cm^-1. L, spectrum of the mineral extracted from the saccule in Slc26a4^loop/Slc26a4^loop mutant mice at the age of 10 months. Vibrations at 1324 and 776 cm^-1 are typical of weddellite crystals. Scale bars equal 50 um in panels A and B; scale bars equal 100 um in panels D, E, G, H, J and K. n >/= 15.

Copyright

This image is from Dror AA, J Biol Chem 2010 Jul 9;285(28):21724-35 and is displayed with the permission of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology who owns the Copyright. Full text from JBC. J:163655

Associated Alleles

Symbol	Name
Slc26a4^loop	solute carrier family 26, member 4; loop

Associated Genotypes

Allelic Composition	Genetic Background
Slc26a4^loop/Slc26a4^loop	involves: C3HeB/FeJ