Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 23, 2026

Author Spotlight: Advancements in Cultivating Mouse Hair Cells for Auditory Research
Published on: September 15, 2023
Epiphycan is specifically expressed in cochlear supporting cells and is necessary for normal hearing
Yukiko Hanada1, Yukiko Nakamura2, Yusuke Ishida2
1Department of Neuroscience and Cell Biology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan; Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.
Abstract:
The study of inner ear specific transcripts has revealed novel information about hereditary hearing loss and a mechanism of normal hearing. In this study, by analyzing a published cDNA library, we focused on Epiphycan (Epyc), a member of the small leucine-rich repeat proteoglycan family, whose transcript is enriched in the inner ear. Epyc mRNA was expressed abundantly and specifically in adult mice cochleae and was localized in supporting cells within the organ of Corti of both neonatal and adult mice. To examine the function of Epyc, we generated Epyc knockout (KO) mice using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Epyc KO mice cochleae exhibited normal morphology. However, measurement of the auditory brain-stem response in Epyc KO mice revealed an elevated hearing threshold above 16 kHz frequency. This study suggests that Epyc is necessary for normal auditory function.
Related Concept Videos
Hair Cells
The Cochlea
Auditory Pathway
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking...
Anatomy of the Ear
Unrenewable Cells
Photoreceptors
The retina is composed of several layers and contains specialized cells called photoreceptors. The photoreceptors (rods and cones) change their membrane potential when stimulated by light energy. There are two types of photoreceptors—rods and cones—which differ in the shape of...
Auditory Perception

