Characterization of Transcriptomes of Apical OHCs and Basal OHCs in Cochlea

We analyzed the transcriptomes of 30 isolated apical OHCs and basal OHCs from rat cochlea, and the results showed that more than 50 genes were differentially expressed and 20 genes were uniquely expressed among these populations. We analyzed these genes with a focus on their functions related to cellular structure and transmembrane channels and their vulnerability to and involvement in hereditary deafness caused by OHC defects. Our results could serve as a guideline for exploring the molecular mechanisms underlying the biological properties of OHCs. 2 sub-populations of cochlear outer hair cells with different gene expression related to thair differences in structure, function and vulnerability