Inner ear pathology in the deafness mutant mouse.

A distinctive cochlear pathology was found in deafness mutant mice. There was a delay in the formation of the fluid-filled Nuel and tunnel spaces in the organ of Corti, the hair cells were distorted and degenerate, and there was poor maintenance of synapses. No hair cells appeared normal by TEM, but SEM revealed some areas where stereocilia appeared relatively normal, suggesting that SEM of the surface of the organ of Corti is not necessarily a good indicator of hair cell pathology in hereditary hearing impairment. Mutant mice show normal development of endocochlear potential, but have no measurable cochlear microphonics or compound action potential. The data suggest that the deafness gene affects the organ of Corti and that cochlear hair cells in deafness mice are never functional.