Pattern of expression of the jun family of transcription factors during the early development of the inner ear: implications in apoptosis.

Jun transcription factors have been implicated in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. We have investigated the relationship between Jun expression and cell death in the developing chicken inner ear. c-jun and junD transcripts were expressed in the epithelium of the otic placode and otic vesicle. c-jun expression was restricted to the dorsal area of the otic pit (stages 14-17), dorsal otic vesicle and cochleo-vestibular ganglion (stages 18-20). junD expression was transient and occurred in the dorsal and upper medial aspects of the otic pit and otic cup, but it was down-regulated in the otic vesicle. A parallel TUNEL analysis revealed that expression of c-jun co-located within areas of intense apoptosis. Furthermore, phosphorylation of c-Jun at serine-63 by Jun amino-terminal-kinases was detected in the dorsal otic pit, otic vesicle and cochleo-vestibular ganglion. c-Jun protein exhibited DNA binding activity, as assessed by gel mobility shift assays. The association between c-Jun and apoptosis was further demonstrated by studying nerve growth factor-induced apoptosis in cultured otic vesicles. Nerve growth factor-induced cell death and c-Jun phosphorylation that were suppressed by insulin-like growth factor-I and by viral-mediated overexpression of Raf, which had survival effects. In conclusion, the precise regulation of the expression and activity of Jun proteins in the otic primordium suggests that it may operate as a fundamental mechanism during organogenesis.