Auditory neuropathy is a cause of hearing loss that has been studied in a number of animal models. Signal transmission from hair cells to spiral ganglion neurons plays an important role in normal hearing. CYLD is a microtubule‐binding protein, and deubiquitinase involved in the regulation of various cellular processes. In this study, we used Cyld knockout (KO) mice and nerve cell lines to examine whether CYLD is associated with auditory neuropathy.
Hearing of Cyld KO mice was studied using the TDT RZ6 auditory physiology workstation. The expression and localization of CYLD in mouse cochlea and cell lines were examined by RT‐PCR, immunoblotting, and immunofluorescence. CYLD expression was knocked down in SH‐SY5Y cells by shRNAs and in PC12 and N2A cells by siRNAs. Nerve growth factor and retinoic acid were used to induce neurite outgrowth, and the occurrence and length of neurites were statistically analyzed between knockdown and control groups.
The purpose of this study was to explore how CYLD affects hearing, and here, we show that CYLD loss slightly impaired hearing in mice. Through cell experiments, it was found that knockdown of CYLD expression reduced the length and proportion of neurite in nerve cells, which may be the potential cause of neurological hearing impairment.