gom1 Mutant Mice as a Model of Otitis Media.

Otitis media (OM) disease is a common cause of hearing loss that is primarily the result of middle ear infection. At present, our understanding of the mechanisms leading to OM is limited due to the lack of animal models of OM with effusion (OME). Here, we report that the mice with genetic otitis media one (gom1) mutants are prone to OM.

Developmental cis-regulatory analysis of the cyclin D gene in the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus.

Cyclin D genes regulate the cell cycle, growth and differentiation in response to intercellular signaling. While the promoters of vertebrate cyclin D genes have been analyzed, the cis-regulatory sequences across an entire cyclin D locus have not. Doing so would increase understanding of how cyclin D genes respond to the regulatory states established by developmental gene regulatory networks, linking cell cycle and growth control to the ontogenetic program.

Molecular characterization of an allelic series of mutations in the mouse Nox3 gene.

The inner ear consists of the cochlea (the organ of hearing) and the vestibular system (the organs of balance). Within the vestibular system, linear acceleration and gravity are detected by the saccule and utricle. Resting above the neurosensory epithelia of these organs are otoconia, minute proteinaceous and crystalline (calcite) inertial masses that shift under the physical forces imparted by linear movements and gravity.