Auditory cortex interneuron development requires cadherins operating hair-cell mechanoelectrical transduction

Abstract

Significance In early-onset genetic forms of deafness, deficits of the auditory sensory organ are sufficient to account for the hearing impairment. However, the possibility that intrinsic deficits of the auditory cortex (AC) coexist with the peripheral deficits is still unexplored. We show, in rodents and primates, that the cadherin-related proteins cdhr23 and cdhr15 are expressed by many interneuron precursors targeted specifically to the AC. A deficiency of either protein results in the failure of these interneuron precursors to enter the embryonic cortex and in abnormally small numbers of parvalbumin interneurons in the AC only. These findings should lead to an improvement of hearing rehabilitation strategies in patients and open up new genetic approaches for studying AC development and function.