The gene is required for hair cell development in zebrafish.

Hair cells (HCs) function as important sensory receptors that can detect movement in their immediate environment. HCs in the inner ear can sense acoustic signals, while in aquatic vertebrates HCs can also detect movements, vibrations, and pressure gradients in the surrounding water. Many genes are responsible for the development of HCs, and developmental defects in HCs can lead to hearing loss and other sensory dysfunctions. Here, we found that the () gene, which is a member of the anion-exchange family, is expressed in the otic vesicles and lateral line neuromasts in developing zebrafish embryos. An analysis showed that the is evolutionarily conserved, and we found that loss of function of resulted in a decreased number of HCs in zebrafish neuromasts due to increased HC apoptosis. Taken together, we conclude that plays a critical role in the development of HCs in zebrafish.