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Tichacek O, Mistrík P, Jungwirth P. From the outer ear to the nerve: A complete computer model of the peripheral auditory system. Hear Res 2023; 440:108900. [PMID: 37944408 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2023.108900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Computer models of the individual components of the peripheral auditory system - the outer, middle, and inner ears and the auditory nerve - have been developed in the past, with varying level of detail, breadth, and faithfulness of the underlying parameters. Building on previous work, we advance the modeling of the ear by presenting a complete, physiologically justified, bottom-up computer model based on up-to-date experimental data that integrates all of these parts together seamlessly. The detailed bottom-up design of the present model allows for the investigation of partial hearing mechanisms and their defects, including genetic, molecular, and microscopic factors. Also, thanks to the completeness of the model, one can study microscopic effects in the context of their implications on hearing as a whole, enabling the correlation with neural recordings and non-invasive psychoacoustic methods. Such a model is instrumental for advancing quantitative understanding of the mechanism of hearing, for investigating various forms of hearing impairment, as well as for devising next generation hearing aids and cochlear implants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondrej Tichacek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nam. 2, 160 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
| | | | - Pavel Jungwirth
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nam. 2, 160 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
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Sreedevi N, Swapna N, Maruthy S, Jayakumar T, Sylvester C. Molecular Evaluation of Joubert Syndrome and Hearing Impairment in a Patient with Ataxic Cerebral Palsy. Glob Med Genet 2023; 10:190-193. [PMID: 37501760 PMCID: PMC10370468 DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1771184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Joubert syndrome (JBTS) is a rare autosomal recessive or X-linked congenital brain malformation with strong genetic heterogeneity. Other neurological features of JBTS include hypotonia, ataxia, developmental delay, and cognitive impairment. Hearing loss with JBTS has been reported in the literature. We present the case of a 3.5-year-old boy born to a healthy consanguineous South Indian couple who was presented with ataxic cerebral palsy (CP) and hearing impairment; medical reports confirmed typical brain malformations of JBTS. Hearing impairment was screened by audiological assessment, which confirmed the presence of severe-profound hearing loss with outer hair cell dysfunction. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed to know the molecular aspects of the condition and to detect any novel mutations. The homozygous mutation AHI1 c.2023G > A associated with JBTS type 3 and GJB2 c.71G > A mutation associated with hearing impairment were identified. Sanger sequencing was performed to validate the result and it identified heterozygous AHI1 c.2023G > A and GJB2 c.71G > A in the patient's parents. This study confirms the diagnosis of JBTS by WES helps identify the genetic causes of hereditary disorders that accelerate genetic evaluation and counseling for at-risk families.
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Affiliation(s)
- N. Sreedevi
- Department of Speech-Language Sciences, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore, India
| | - N. Swapna
- Department of Speech-Language Pathology, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore, India
| | - Santosh Maruthy
- Department of Speech-Language Sciences, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore, India
| | - T. Jayakumar
- Department of Speech-Language Sciences, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore, India
| | - Charles Sylvester
- Unit for Human Genetics, All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysore, India
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Mammano F. Inner Ear Connexin Channels: Roles in Development and Maintenance of Cochlear Function. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2019; 9:a033233. [PMID: 30181354 PMCID: PMC6601451 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a033233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Connexin 26 and connexin 30 are the prevailing isoforms in the epithelial and connective tissue gap junction systems of the developing and mature cochlea. The most frequently encountered variants of the genes that encode these connexins, which are transcriptionally coregulated, determine complete loss of protein function and are the predominant cause of prelingual hereditary deafness. Reducing connexin 26 expression by Cre/loxP recombination in the inner ear of adult mice results in a decreased endocochlear potential, increased hearing thresholds, and loss of >90% of outer hair cells, indicating that this connexin is essential for maintenance of cochlear function. In the developing cochlea, connexins are necessary for intercellular calcium signaling activity. Ribbon synapses and basolateral membrane currents fail to mature in inner hair cells of mice that are born with reduced connexin expression, even though hair cells do not express any connexin. In contrast, pannexin 1, an alternative mediator of intercellular signaling, is dispensable for hearing acquisition and auditory function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Mammano
- University of Padova, Department of Physics and Astronomy "G. Galilei," Padova 35129, Italy
- CNR Institute of Cell Biology and Neurobiology, Monterotondo 00015, Italy
- Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
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Köles L, Szepesy J, Berekméri E, Zelles T. Purinergic Signaling and Cochlear Injury-Targeting the Immune System? Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20122979. [PMID: 31216722 PMCID: PMC6627352 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20122979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2019] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hearing impairment is the most common sensory deficit, affecting more than 400 million people worldwide. Sensorineural hearing losses currently lack any specific or efficient pharmacotherapy largely due to the insufficient knowledge of the pathomechanism. Purinergic signaling plays a substantial role in cochlear (patho)physiology. P2 (ionotropic P2X and the metabotropic P2Y) as well as adenosine receptors expressed on cochlear sensory and non-sensory cells are involved mostly in protective mechanisms of the cochlea. They are implicated in the sensitivity adjustment of the receptor cells by a K+ shunt and can attenuate the cochlear amplification by modifying cochlear micromechanics. Cochlear blood flow is also regulated by purines. Here, we propose to comprehend this field with the purine-immune interactions in the cochlea. The role of harmful immune mechanisms in sensorineural hearing losses has been emerging in the horizon of cochlear pathologies. In addition to decreasing hearing sensitivity and increasing cochlear blood supply, influencing the immune system can be the additional avenue for pharmacological targeting of purinergic signaling in the cochlea. Elucidating this complexity of purinergic effects on cochlear functions is necessary and it can result in development of new therapeutic approaches in hearing disabilities, especially in the noise-induced ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- László Köles
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Judit Szepesy
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Eszter Berekméri
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine, H-1078 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Tibor Zelles
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, H-1089 Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, H-1083 Budapest, Hungary.
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Berekméri E, Szepesy J, Köles L, Zelles T. Purinergic signaling in the organ of Corti: Potential therapeutic targets of sensorineural hearing losses. Brain Res Bull 2019; 151:109-118. [PMID: 30721767 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2019.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Purinergic signaling is deeply involved in the development, functions and protective mechanisms of the cochlea. Release of ATP and activation of purinergic receptors on sensory and supporting/epithelial cells play a substantial role in cochlear (patho)physiology. Both the ionotropic P2X and the metabotropic P2Y receptors are widely distributed on the inner and outer hair cells as well as on the different supporting cells in the organ of Corti and on other epithelial cells in the scala media. Among others, they are implicated in the sensitivity adjustment of the receptor cells by a K+ shunt and can attenuate the cochlear amplification by modifying cochlear micromechanics acting on outer hair cells and supporting cells. Cochlear blood flow is also regulated by purines. Sensorineural hearing losses currently lack any specific or efficient pharmacotherapy. Decreasing hearing sensitivity and increasing cochlear blood supply by pharmacological targeting of purinergic signaling in the cochlea are potential new therapeutic approaches in these hearing disabilities, especially in the noise-induced ones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eszter Berekméri
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Judit Szepesy
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Köles
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tibor Zelles
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
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Mao B, Moss CF, Wilkinson GS. Age-dependent gene expression in the inner ear of big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus). PLoS One 2017; 12:e0186667. [PMID: 29073148 PMCID: PMC5658057 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0186667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/05/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
For echolocating bats, hearing is essential for survival. Specializations for detecting and processing high frequency sounds are apparent throughout their auditory systems. Recent studies on echolocating mammals have reported evidence of parallel evolution in some hearing-related genes in which distantly related groups of echolocating animals (bats and toothed whales), cluster together in gene trees due to apparent amino acid convergence. However, molecular adaptations can occur not only in coding sequences, but also in the regulation of gene expression. The aim of this study was to examine the expression of hearing-related genes in the inner ear of developing big brown bats, Eptesicus fuscus, during the period in which echolocation vocalizations increase dramatically in frequency. We found that seven genes were significantly upregulated in juveniles relative to adults, and that the expression of four genes through development correlated with estimated age. Compared to available data for mice, it appears that expression of some hearing genes is extended in juvenile bats. These results are consistent with a prolonged growth period required to develop larger cochlea relative to body size, a later maturation of high frequency hearing, and a greater dependence on high frequency hearing in echolocating bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Mao
- Department of Biology, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Cynthia F. Moss
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Gerald S. Wilkinson
- Department of Biology, College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
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Feng X, Qin Z. Molecular Analysis of Hair Cells in Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Audiol Neurootol 2014; 19:267-74. [DOI: 10.1159/000363683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2013] [Accepted: 05/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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Active cochlear amplification is dependent on supporting cell gap junctions. Nat Commun 2013; 4:1786. [PMID: 23653198 PMCID: PMC3675877 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms2806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2012] [Accepted: 03/25/2013] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian hearing relies upon active cochlear mechanics, which arises from outer hair
cell (OHC) electromotility and hair bundle movement, to amplify acoustic stimulations increasing
hearing sensitivity and frequency selectivity. Here we describe the novel finding that gap junctions
between cochlear supporting cells also have a critical role in active cochlear amplification
in vivo. We find that targeted-deletion of connexin26 (Cx26) in Deiters cells (DCs)
and outer pillar cells (OPCs), which constrain OHCs standing on the basilar membrane, causes a
leftward shift in OHC electromotility towards hyperpolarization, and reduces active cochlear
amplification with hearing loss. Coincident with large reduction in distortion product otoacoustic
emission (DPOAE) and severe hearing loss at high frequencies, the shift is larger in shorter OHCs.
Our study demonstrates that active cochlear amplification in vivo is dependent on
supporting cell gap junctions. These new findings also show that Cx26 deficiency can reduce active
cochlear amplification to induce hearing loss.
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Does congenital cytomegalovirus infection lead to hearing loss by inducing mutation of the GJB2 gene? Pediatr Res 2013; 74:121-6. [PMID: 23665763 DOI: 10.1038/pr.2013.77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2012] [Accepted: 02/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection and mutation of the gap junction β-2 (GJB2) gene are important causes of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). This study aims to determine if congenital CMV infection leads to deafness by inducing GJB2 mutation. METHODS GJB2 gene sequencing and auditory brainstem response testing were performed in 159 neonates (63 with and 96 without CMV infection) from August 2008 to August 2011. For neonates with GJB2 mutation, their parents were further screened for GJB2 sequence. RESULTS The incidence of SNHL was 12.7% in CMV-infected but 0% in uninfected children aged 1-1.5 y (P = 0.000). Similar mutation rates of the GJB2 gene were observed in neonates with or without CMV infection (34.9 vs. 32.3%, respectively, P = 0.734). No significant difference in the mutation rate of GJB2 was found among neonates with CMV infection and SNHL, those with CMV infection and normal hearing, and uninfected newborns with normal hearing (P = 0.438). Mutations 79G>A, 109G>A, 341A>G, and 608T>C were found in neonates with and without CMV infection. All of the above mutations were also found in both or one of the corresponding parents. CONCLUSION Congenital CMV infections may cause deafness in neonates, but this might be independent of GJB2 gene mutation.
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