Mutation of the Cyba gene encoding p22^phox causes vestibular and immune defects in mice
J. Clin. Invest. Yoko Nakano, et al. 118:1176 doi:10.1172/JCI33835 [Go to this article.]

Figure 4
Balance organ dysfunction and a lack of otoconia in nmf333 mice. (A) Balance in WT and homozygous nmf333 mice was examined using swimming tests. Homozygous mutants were unable to orient themselves in water and swirled under the surface. (B) Balance function based on VsEP waveforms; 2 representative replicates of VsEP waveforms are shown for WT, heterozygous, and homozygous mutant nmf333 mice exposed to linear acceleration stimuli from +6 to –12 dB relative to reference intensity (re) 1.0 g/ms in 3-dB increments, with auditory masking (M) and without auditory masking. Positive-response peaks are labeled with arrowheads. VsEP responses were absent in nmf333/nmf333 mice. (C) Summarized VsEP data. Individual VsEP thresholds are shown for WT (open circles; n = 6), heterozygous (open squares; n = 6), and nmf333/333 (filled squares; n = 4) mice. Mean thresholds are indicated by solid horizontal lines ± 1 SD (dashed lines). P < 0.0001, 1-way ANOVA; post-hoc Dunnett’s test between WT and heterozygous (P > 0.05) and between WT and nmf333 groups (**P < 0.01). (D) Otoconial presence determined by von Kossa staining. The von Kossa method revealed the calcium salt content characteristic of otoconia (arrows) in the saccule (S) and utricle (U) of a WT mouse. No calcium salts are present in the utricle and saccule of nmf333 mice. n = 3 per group. Scale bars: 100 μm. (E) Otoconial presence was investigated by scanning electron microscopy in the saccules of WT and homozygous nmf333 mice. The otoconial crystal layer is completely absent from the nmf333 saccule.