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Updated: Aug 27, 2025

In Ovo and Ex Ovo Methods to Study Avian Inner Ear Development
Published on: June 16, 2022
Cell-type identity of the avian utricle
Mirko Scheibinger1, Amanda Janesick1, Nesrine Benkafadar1
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Abstract:
The avian utricle, a vestibular organ of the inner ear, displays turnover of sensory hair cells throughout life. This is in sharp contrast to the mammalian utricle, which shows limited regenerative capacity. Here, we use single-cell RNA sequencing to identify distinct marker genes for the different sensory hair cell subtypes of the chicken utricle, which we validated in situ. We provide markers for spatially distinct supporting cell populations and identify two transitional cell populations of dedifferentiating supporting cells and developing hair cells. Trajectory reconstruction resulted in an inventory of gene expression dynamics of natural hair cell generation in the avian utricle.
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