Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2003, 200 (3)

Expression of Glutamate Transporter GLAST
in the Developing Mouse Cochlea

ZHEN-HUA JIN, TOSHIHIKO KIKUCHI, KOHICHI TANAKA^1,2 and TOSHIMITSU KOBAYASHI

Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai 980-8574,
¹Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, School of Biomedical Science and Medical Research Institute, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo 113-8519, and
²PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Corporation, Kawaguchi 332-0012

The immunohistochemical localization of glutamate transporter GLAST in the developing mouse cochlea was studied at different ages between 0 and 30 days after birth (DAB). In the adult mouse cochlea, intense GLAST-like immunoreactivity was found in the supporting cells adjacent to the inner hair cells of the organ of Corti, the type II and suprastrial fibrocytes of the cochlear lateral wall, the fibrocytes of the spiral limbus and the satellite cells surrounding the spiral ganglion cells. At 0 DAB, weak GLAST-like immunoreactivity was found in the supporting cells around the immature inner hair cells. Immature fibrocytes in the cochlea were also positively immunostained. At 3 DAB, weak immunostaining of GLAST appeared in the immature satellite cells in the spiral ganglion. The GLAST-like immunoreactivity in the supporting cells around the inner hair cells, in the fiborocytes in the spiral ligament and the spiral limbus and in the satellite cells in the spiral ganglion increased progressively during the second postnatal week, and reached the adult level at 15 DAB. This time course correlates with the electrophysiological onset and maturation of the mouse auditory function, which is mediated by glutamatergic neurotransmission. These results suggest that the expression of GLAST may be needed for the efficient removal and metabolism of the released glutamate in the cochlea and may play important roles in the onset and maturation of the auditory system.

keywords —— inner ear; spiral ligament; fibrocytes; excitotoxicity; postnatal development

© 2003 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2003, 200, 137-144

Address for reprints: Toshihiko Kikuchi, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-1 Seiryo-machi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8574, Japan.

e-mail: toshi@orl.med.tohoku.ac.jp