Math1: An essential gene for the generation of inner ear hair cells

The mammalian inner ear contains the cochlea and vestibular organs, which a re responsible for hearing and balance, respectively. The epithelia of thes e sensory organs contain hair cells that function as mechanoreceptors to tr ansduce sound and head motion. The molecular mechanisms underlying hair cel l development and differentiation are poorly understood. Math1, a mouse hom olog of the Drosophila proneural gene atonal, is expressed in inner ear sen sory epithelia. Embryonic Math1-null mice failed to generate cochlear and v estibular hair cells. This gene is thus required for the genesis of hair ce lls.