Protocol for assessing auditory function, cochlear synaptopathy, and afferent terminal morphology in laboratory mice.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Auditory Neuroscience
• Molecular Biology

Background:

• Auditory function relies on the integrity of cochlear synapses.
• Glutamate receptors, particularly AMPA-type, play a crucial role in auditory neurotransmission.
• Dysfunction in these synapses can lead to hearing loss.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a comprehensive protocol for evaluating auditory function and synaptic integrity in mice.
• To investigate the effects of GluA3 gene knockout on auditory pathways.
• To establish a framework for studying molecular-structural synaptopathy in cochlear dysfunction models.

Main Methods:

• Auditory brainstem response (ABR) recordings to assess hearing function.
• Immunofluorescence to analyze the expression and localization of AMPA receptor subunits.
• Electron microscopy to examine the ultrastructure of cochlear-ribbon synapses.

Main Results:

• The protocol allows for the combined assessment of auditory function and synaptic molecular-structural integrity.
• It enables the evaluation of GluA3-knockout mice raised under different sound conditions.
• The study provides detailed procedures for reproducible analysis.

Conclusions:

• This protocol offers a reproducible framework for studying molecular-structural synaptopathy.
• It is applicable to mouse models of cochlear dysfunction.
• The findings contribute to understanding the molecular basis of hearing impairment.