Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Dissection of Adult Mouse Utricle and Adenovirus-mediated Supporting-cell Infection
Published on: March 28, 2012
Acbd7 is essential for preserving hair cell-mediated auditory and vestibular function
Mingxuan Wu1,2,3,4, Gaogan Jia1,2,3,4, Yanyan Jia1,2,3,4,5
1ENT Institute and Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Eye and ENT Hospital, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Acyl-CoA binding domain-containing 7 (Acbd7) is vital for maintaining auditory and vestibular hair cell function. Acbd7 deficiency leads to hair cell degeneration and synaptic defects, highlighting its role in calcium signaling and fatty acid metabolism for inner ear health.
Area of Science:
- Inner ear physiology
- Auditory-vestibular disorders
- Molecular biology
Background:
- Hair cell function is crucial for hearing and balance.
- Understanding molecular mechanisms is key to treating inner ear disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify genes critical for hair cell maintenance.
- Investigate the role of Acbd7 in hair cell function and inner ear disorders.
Main Methods:
- Single-cell transcriptomics of mouse cochlear organoids.
- Spatiotemporal expression analysis of Acbd7.
- Analysis of Acbd7-deficient mice.
- Transcriptomic and proteomic analyses.
Main Results:
- Acbd7 is a hair cell-specific gene, highly expressed from embryonic development to adulthood.
- Acbd7 deficiency causes hair cell degeneration, synaptic defects, and altered calcium currents.
- Acbd7 is linked to Ca2+ signaling and fatty acid metabolism pathways.
Conclusions:
- Acbd7 is essential for hair cell Ca2+ homeostasis and functional integrity.
- Acbd7 plays a key role in sustaining hair cell function via fatty acid metabolism.
- Acbd7 represents a potential therapeutic target for inner ear disorders.
Related Concept Videos
Hair Cells
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 their outer...
Anatomy of the Ear
Auditory Pathway
When viewed cross-sectionally, the cochlea reveals the scala vestibuli and scala tympani flanking the...
The Cochlea

