Loss-of function mutations in transmembrane inner ear expressed (Tmie/TMIE) gene have been shown to cause deafness in mice and humans (DFNB6). However, the functional roles of TMIE in the cochlea remain unclear. A primary step toward the understanding of the role of TMIE in hearing and its dysfunction is the documentation of its cellular and sub-cellular location within the cochlea, the auditory organ. In this study, we located and determined the cellular expression of Tmie within the rat cochlea using a polyclonal anti-Tmie antibody. The anti-Tmie antibody identified a specific band of 17 kDa in a variety of rat tissues by using Western blot analyses. The expression products of Tmie were also detected in the spiral limbus, spiral ligament, organ of Corti, and stria vascularis by immunohistochemistry analysis and RT-PCR. Our results point out the presence and localization of Tmie products in the cochlea of rat. Knowledge of spatial distribution of Tmie will provide important insight into the mechanisms that lead to deafness due to mutations in the TMIE gene.
