Abstract
Inflammation of the middle ear cavity (otitis media) and the abnormal deposition of bone at the otic capsule are common causes of conductive hearing impairment in children and adults. Although a host of environmental factors can contribute to these conditions, a genetic predisposition has an important role as well. Here, we analyze the Tail-short (Ts) mouse, which harbors a spontaneous semi-dominant mutation that causes skeletal defects and hearing loss. By genetic means, we show that the Ts phenotypes arise from an 18-kb deletion/insertion of the Rpl38 gene, encoding a ribosomal protein of the large subunit. We show that Ts mutants exhibit significantly elevated auditory-brain stem response thresholds and reduced distortion-product otoacoustic emissions, in the presence of normal endocochlear potentials and typical inner ear histology suggestive of a conductive hearing impairment. We locate the cause of the hearing impairment to the middle ear, demonstrating over-ossification at the round window ridge, ectopic deposition of cholesterol crystals in the middle ear cavity, enlarged Eustachian tube, and chronic otitis media with effusion all beginning at around 3 weeks after birth. Using specific antisera, we demonstrate that Rpl38 is an ∼8-kDa protein that is predominantly expressed in mature erythrocytes. Finally, using an Rpl38 cDNA transgene, we rescue the Ts phenotypes. Together, these data present a previously uncharacterized combination of interrelated middle ear pathologies and suggest Rpl38 deficiency as a model to dissect the causative relationships between neo-ossification, cholesterol crystal deposition, and Eustachian tubes in the etiology of otitis media.