RNA-sequencing of Adult Mouse Pillar and Deiters’ Supporting Cells of the Organ of Corti

To understand the basic biological properties of supporting cells of the mammalian inner ear, we examined the transcriptome of adult pillar and Deiters’ cells. Morphologically distinct pillar and Deiters’ cells were isolated from the organ of Corti from adult CBA/J mice. One thousand pillar and Deiters’ cells were separately collected for each biological replicate, using the suction pipette technique. RNA sequencing of three biological replicates, each with two technical repeats, was performed. The resulting sequenced reads were mapped. Comparisons between pillar cells and Deiters’ cells allow identification of enriched genes, as well as differentially expressed genes that result in cellular specialization. Our dataset provides an extensive resource for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying morphology, function, and pathology of adult mouse pillar and Deiters’ cells. One thousand pillar cells and 1,000 Deiters’ cells were separately collected for each biological replicate, using the suction pipette technique. RNA sequencing of three biological replicates for the two cell types was performed. The resulting sequenced reads were mapped. Comparisons between pillar cells and Deiters’ cells allow identification of enriched genes which may underlie cell specialization