Koike-Tani
Maki
Koike-Tani
Maki
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ArticlePostnatal structural development of mammalian basilar membrane provides anatomical basis for the maturation of tonotopic maps and frequency tuning(Nature Research, 2021-04-07) Tani, Tomomi ; Koike-Tani, Maki ; Tran, Mai Thi ; Shribak, Michael ; Levic, SnezanaThe basilar membrane (BM) of the mammalian cochlea constitutes a spiraling acellular ribbon that is intimately attached to the organ of Corti. Its graded stiffness, increasing from apex to the base of the cochlea provides the mechanical basis for sound frequency analysis. Despite its central role in auditory signal transduction, virtually nothing is known about the BM’s structural development. Using polarized light microscopy, the present study characterized the architectural transformations of freshly dissected BM at time points during postnatal development and maturation. The results indicate that the BM structural elements increase progressively in size, becoming radially aligned and more tightly packed with maturation and reach the adult structural signature by postnatal day 20 (P20). The findings provide insight into structural details and developmental changes of the mammalian BM, suggesting that BM is a dynamic structure that changes throughout the life of an animal.
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PreprintPolarized light microscopy in reproductive and developmental biology( 2013-05) Koike-Tani, Maki ; Tani, Tomomi ; Mehta, Shalin B. ; Verma, Amitabh ; Oldenbourg, RudolfThe polarized light microscope reveals orientational order in native molecular structures inside living cells, tissues, and whole organisms. Therefore, it is a powerful tool to monitor and analyze the early developmental stages of organisms that lend themselves to microscopic observations. In this article we briefly discuss the components specific to a traditional polarizing microscope and some historically important observations on chromosome packing in sperm head, first zygote division of the sea urchin, and differentiation initiated by the first uneven cell division in the sand dollar. We then introduce the LC-PolScope and describe its use for measuring birefringence and polarized fluorescence in living cells and tissues. Applications range from the enucleation of mouse oocytes to analyzing the polarized fluorescence of the water strider acrosome. We end by reporting first results on the birefringence of the developing chick brain, which we analyzed between developmental stages of days 12 through 20.