Fig. 8

Treatment with anti-MCMV mAbs prevents decreased expression of deafness-related genes in the cochlea during early auditory development. (A-F) Validation of decreased expression of select deafness related genes identified by RNA-seq. Cochleae collected on PNd4 and expression of Cx26, Cx43, KCNE1, ZBTB20, COCH, and OTOS determined by qRT-PCR as described in Fig. 2. Significant decrease of DRG expression in cochleae from MCMV-infected, untreated (MCMV) and isotype control antibody treated cochleae (MCMV + ISO) as compared to cochleae from infected mAb treated (MCMV + mAb) and uninfected control mice (MOCK) for each of the selected genes with exception of ZBTB20. Each data point represents individual cochlea with median of group indicated by horizontal bar. All groups compared to MOCK and statistical significance determined by a Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn’s multiple comparisons post-test (^*P < 0.05, ^**P < 0.01). For each group, n = 3–5 mice (6–10 cochleae)