Patterning of the mammalian cochlea

This paper was presented at the National Academy of Sciences colloquium "Auditory Neuroscience: Development, Transduction, and Integration" held May 19–21, 2000, at the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center in Irvine, CA.The mammalian cochlea is sophisticated in its function and highly organized in its structure. Although the anatomy of this sense organ has been well documented, the molecular mechanisms underlying its development have remained elusive. Information generated from mutant and knockout mice in recent years has increased our understanding of cochlear development and physiology. This article discusses factors important for the development of the inner ear and summarizes cochlear phenotypes of mutant and knockout mice, particularly Otx and Otx2. We also present data on gross development of the mouse cochlea