Long-term time lapse imaging of mouse cochlear explants.

Area of Science:

• Developmental biology
• Otolaryngology
• Microscopy

Background:

• Mammalian cochlear development is a complex, ~10-day process.
• Studying gene expression requires long-term imaging of embryonic explants.
• Previous live imaging methods were limited by explant viability due to suboptimal culture conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a method for long-term time-lapse imaging of live embryonic mouse cochlear explants.
• To overcome limitations of previous live imaging techniques.
• To enable study of gene expression and cellular behavior during cochlear development.

Main Methods:

• Established embryonic mouse cochlear explants.
• Utilized a microscope integrated into a modified tissue culture incubator for optimal environmental control.
• Conducted time-lapse imaging over 5 days using bright-field and fluorescent microscopy.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated successful long-term culture and imaging of embryonic mouse cochlear explants.
• Observed the behavior of embryonic day 13 cochlear explants.
• Tracked Sox2, a marker for prosensory cells, over the 5-day imaging period.

Conclusions:

• An incubator microscope provides an optimal environment for long-term live imaging of cochlear explants.
• This method facilitates the study of developmental processes and gene expression in the mammalian cochlea.
• The technique supports investigations into pharmaceutical or genetic manipulations affecting cochlear development.