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Moser T, Karagulyan N, Neef J, Jaime Tobón LM. Diversity matters - extending sound intensity coding by inner hair cells via heterogeneous synapses. EMBO J 2023; 42:e114587. [PMID: 37800695 PMCID: PMC10690447 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2023114587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Our sense of hearing enables the processing of stimuli that differ in sound pressure by more than six orders of magnitude. How to process a wide range of stimulus intensities with temporal precision is an enigmatic phenomenon of the auditory system. Downstream of dynamic range compression by active cochlear micromechanics, the inner hair cells (IHCs) cover the full intensity range of sound input. Yet, the firing rate in each of their postsynaptic spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) encodes only a fraction of it. As a population, spiral ganglion neurons with their respective individual coding fractions cover the entire audible range. How such "dynamic range fractionation" arises is a topic of current research and the focus of this review. Here, we discuss mechanisms for generating the diverse functional properties of SGNs and formulate testable hypotheses. We postulate that an interplay of synaptic heterogeneity, molecularly distinct subtypes of SGNs, and efferent modulation serves the neural decomposition of sound information and thus contributes to a population code for sound intensity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Synaptic Nanophysiology GroupMax Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary SciencesGöttingenGermany
- Cluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging of Excitable Cells”GöttingenGermany
| | - Nare Karagulyan
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Synaptic Nanophysiology GroupMax Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary SciencesGöttingenGermany
- Hertha Sponer CollegeCluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging of Excitable Cells” Cluster of ExcellenceGöttingenGermany
| | - Jakob Neef
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Synaptic Nanophysiology GroupMax Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary SciencesGöttingenGermany
| | - Lina María Jaime Tobón
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Synaptic Nanophysiology GroupMax Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary SciencesGöttingenGermany
- Hertha Sponer CollegeCluster of Excellence “Multiscale Bioimaging of Excitable Cells” Cluster of ExcellenceGöttingenGermany
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2
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Michanski S, Kapoor R, Steyer AM, Möbius W, Früholz I, Ackermann F, Gültas M, Garner CC, Hamra FK, Neef J, Strenzke N, Moser T, Wichmann C. Piccolino is required for ribbon architecture at cochlear inner hair cell synapses and for hearing. EMBO Rep 2023; 24:e56702. [PMID: 37477166 PMCID: PMC10481675 DOI: 10.15252/embr.202256702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) form specialized ribbon synapses with spiral ganglion neurons that tirelessly transmit sound information at high rates over long time periods with extreme temporal precision. This functional specialization is essential for sound encoding and is attributed to a distinct molecular machinery with unique players or splice variants compared to conventional neuronal synapses. Among these is the active zone (AZ) scaffold protein piccolo/aczonin, which is represented by its short splice variant piccolino at cochlear and retinal ribbon synapses. While the function of piccolo at synapses of the central nervous system has been intensively investigated, the role of piccolino at IHC synapses remains unclear. In this study, we characterize the structure and function of IHC synapses in piccolo gene-trap mutant rats (Pclogt/gt ). We find a mild hearing deficit with elevated thresholds and reduced amplitudes of auditory brainstem responses. Ca2+ channel distribution and ribbon morphology are altered in apical IHCs, while their presynaptic function seems to be unchanged. We conclude that piccolino contributes to the AZ organization in IHCs and is essential for normal hearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susann Michanski
- Molecular Architecture of Synapses Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Center for Biostructural Imaging of NeurodegenerationUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Collaborative Research Center 889 “Cellular Mechanisms of Sensory Processing”GöttingenGermany
- Multiscale Bioimaging of Excitable Cells, Cluster of ExcellenceGöttingenGermany
| | - Rohan Kapoor
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Synaptic Nanophysiology GroupMax Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary SciencesGöttingenGermany
- IMPRS Molecular Biology, Göttingen Graduate School for Neuroscience and Molecular BiosciencesUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Anna M Steyer
- Electron Microscopy Core Unit, Department of NeurogeneticsMax Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary SciencesGöttingenGermany
| | - Wiebke Möbius
- Multiscale Bioimaging of Excitable Cells, Cluster of ExcellenceGöttingenGermany
- Electron Microscopy Core Unit, Department of NeurogeneticsMax Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary SciencesGöttingenGermany
| | - Iris Früholz
- Developmental, Neural, and Behavioral Biology Master ProgramUniversity of GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | | | - Mehmet Gültas
- Faculty of AgricultureSouth Westphalia University of Applied SciencesSoestGermany
| | - Craig C Garner
- German Center for Neurodegenerative DiseasesBerlinGermany
- NeuroCureCluster of ExcellenceCharité – UniversitätsmedizinBerlinGermany
| | - F Kent Hamra
- Department of Obstetrics and GynecologyUniversity of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDallasTXUSA
| | - Jakob Neef
- Collaborative Research Center 889 “Cellular Mechanisms of Sensory Processing”GöttingenGermany
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Synaptic Nanophysiology GroupMax Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary SciencesGöttingenGermany
| | - Nicola Strenzke
- Collaborative Research Center 889 “Cellular Mechanisms of Sensory Processing”GöttingenGermany
- Auditory Systems Physiology Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Tobias Moser
- Collaborative Research Center 889 “Cellular Mechanisms of Sensory Processing”GöttingenGermany
- Multiscale Bioimaging of Excitable Cells, Cluster of ExcellenceGöttingenGermany
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Auditory Neuroscience and Synaptic Nanophysiology GroupMax Planck Institute for Multidisciplinary SciencesGöttingenGermany
| | - Carolin Wichmann
- Molecular Architecture of Synapses Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLabUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Center for Biostructural Imaging of NeurodegenerationUniversity Medical Center GöttingenGöttingenGermany
- Collaborative Research Center 889 “Cellular Mechanisms of Sensory Processing”GöttingenGermany
- Multiscale Bioimaging of Excitable Cells, Cluster of ExcellenceGöttingenGermany
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3
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Burwood G, Hakizimana P, Nuttall AL, Fridberger A. Best frequencies and temporal delays are similar across the low-frequency regions of the guinea pig cochlea. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabq2773. [PMID: 36149949 PMCID: PMC9506724 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abq2773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The cochlea maps tones with different frequencies to distinct anatomical locations. For instance, a faint 5000-hertz tone produces brisk responses at a place approximately 8 millimeters into the 18-millimeter-long guinea pig cochlea, but little response elsewhere. This place code pervades the auditory pathways, where neurons have "best frequencies" determined by their connections to the sensory cells in the hearing organ. However, frequency selectivity in cochlear regions encoding low-frequency sounds has not been systematically studied. Here, we show that low-frequency hearing works according to a unique principle that does not involve a place code. Instead, sound-evoked responses and temporal delays are similar across the low-frequency regions of the cochlea. These findings are a break from theories considered proven for 100 years and have broad implications for understanding information processing in the brainstem and cortex and for optimizing the stimulus delivery in auditory implants.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Burwood
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Pierre Hakizimana
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Alfred L Nuttall
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Corresponding author. (A.L.N.); (A.F.)
| | - Anders Fridberger
- Oregon Hearing Research Center, Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
- Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
- Corresponding author. (A.L.N.); (A.F.)
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Vogl C, Neef J, Wichmann C. Methods for multiscale structural and functional analysis of the mammalian cochlea. Mol Cell Neurosci 2022; 120:103720. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2022.103720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
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Liu J, Wang S, Lu Y, Wang H, Wang F, Qiu M, Xie Q, Han H, Hua Y. Aligned Organization of Synapses and Mitochondria in Auditory Hair Cells. Neurosci Bull 2021; 38:235-248. [PMID: 34837647 PMCID: PMC8975952 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-021-00801-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have revealed great functional and structural heterogeneity in the ribbon-type synapses at the basolateral pole of the isopotential inner hair cell (IHC). This feature is believed to be critical for audition over a wide dynamic range, but whether the spatial gradient of ribbon morphology is fine-tuned in each IHC and how the mitochondrial network is organized to meet local energy demands of synaptic transmission remain unclear. By means of three-dimensional electron microscopy and artificial intelligence-based algorithms, we demonstrated the cell-wide structural quantification of ribbons and mitochondria in mature mid-cochlear IHCs of mice. We found that adjacent IHCs in staggered pairs differ substantially in cell body shape and ribbon morphology gradient as well as mitochondrial organization. Moreover, our analysis argues for a location-specific arrangement of correlated ribbon and mitochondrial function at the basolateral IHC pole.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Liu
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190 China ,grid.410726.60000 0004 1797 8419School of Artificial Intelligence, School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408 China ,grid.507732.4CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, 200031 China
| | - Shengxiong Wang
- grid.24516.340000000123704535Putuo People’s Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200060 China ,grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200125 China
| | - Yan Lu
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200125 China ,grid.412523.3Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200125 China ,grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Ear Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200125 China ,grid.412987.10000 0004 0630 1330Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose Diseases, Shanghai, 200125 China
| | - Haoyu Wang
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200125 China ,grid.412523.3Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai, 200125 China ,grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Ear Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200125 China ,grid.412987.10000 0004 0630 1330Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose Diseases, Shanghai, 200125 China
| | - Fangfang Wang
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200125 China
| | - Miaoxin Qiu
- grid.24516.340000000123704535Putuo People’s Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200060 China
| | - Qiwei Xie
- grid.28703.3e0000 0000 9040 3743Research Base of Beijing Modern Manufacturing Development, Beijing University of Technology, Beijing, 100124 China
| | - Hua Han
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China. .,School of Artificial Intelligence, School of Future Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 101408, China. .,CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, 200031, China.
| | - Yunfeng Hua
- Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200125, China. .,Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai, 200125, China. .,Ear Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200125, China. .,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose Diseases, Shanghai, 200125, China.
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Payne SA, Joens MS, Chung H, Skigen N, Frank A, Gattani S, Vaughn K, Schwed A, Nester M, Bhattacharyya A, Iyer G, Davis B, Carlquist J, Patel H, Fitzpatrick JAJ, Rutherford MA. Maturation of Heterogeneity in Afferent Synapse Ultrastructure in the Mouse Cochlea. Front Synaptic Neurosci 2021; 13:678575. [PMID: 34220482 PMCID: PMC8248813 DOI: 10.3389/fnsyn.2021.678575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Auditory nerve fibers (ANFs) innervating the same inner hair cell (IHC) may have identical frequency tuning but different sound response properties. In cat and guinea pig, ANF response properties correlate with afferent synapse morphology and position on the IHC, suggesting a causal structure-function relationship. In mice, this relationship has not been fully characterized. Here we measured the emergence of synaptic morphological heterogeneities during maturation of the C57BL/6J mouse cochlea by comparing postnatal day 17 (p17, ∼3 days after hearing onset) with p34, when the mouse cochlea is mature. Using serial block face scanning electron microscopy and three-dimensional reconstruction we measured the size, shape, vesicle content, and position of 70 ribbon synapses from the mid-cochlea. Several features matured over late postnatal development. From p17 to p34, presynaptic densities (PDs) and post-synaptic densities (PSDs) became smaller on average (PDs: 0.75 to 0.33; PSDs: 0.58 to 0.31 μm2) and less round as their short axes shortened predominantly on the modiolar side, from 770 to 360 nm. Membrane-associated synaptic vesicles decreased in number from 53 to 30 per synapse from p17 to p34. Anatomical coupling, measured as PSD to ribbon distance, tightened predominantly on the pillar side. Ribbons became less spherical as long-axes lengthened only on the modiolar side of the IHC, from 372 to 541 nm. A decreasing gradient of synaptic ribbon size along the modiolar-pillar axis was detected only at p34 after aligning synapses of adjacent IHCs to a common reference frame (median volumes in nm3 × 106: modiolar 4.87; pillar 2.38). The number of ribbon-associated synaptic vesicles scaled with ribbon size (range 67 to 346 per synapse at p34), thus acquiring a modiolar-pillar gradient at p34, but overall medians were similar at p17 (120) and p34 (127), like ribbon surface area (0.36 vs. 0.34 μm2). PD and PSD morphologies were tightly correlated to each other at individual synapses, more so at p34 than p17, but not to ribbon morphology. These observations suggest that PDs and PSDs mature according to different cues than ribbons, and that ribbon size may be more influenced by cues from the IHC than the surrounding tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelby A. Payne
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Matthew S. Joens
- Center for Cellular Imaging, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- TESCAN USA, Inc., Warrendale, PA, United States
| | - Heather Chung
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Natalie Skigen
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Adam Frank
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Sonali Gattani
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Kya Vaughn
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Allison Schwed
- Graduate Program in Audiology and Communications Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Matt Nester
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Atri Bhattacharyya
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Guhan Iyer
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Bethany Davis
- Graduate Program in Audiology and Communications Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Jason Carlquist
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Honey Patel
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - James A. J. Fitzpatrick
- Center for Cellular Imaging, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Mark A. Rutherford
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
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Effertz T, Moser T, Oliver D. Recent advances in cochlear hair cell nanophysiology: subcellular compartmentalization of electrical signaling in compact sensory cells. Fac Rev 2021; 9:24. [PMID: 33659956 PMCID: PMC7886071 DOI: 10.12703/r/9-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, genetics, physiology, and structural biology have advanced into the molecular details of the sensory physiology of auditory hair cells. Inner hair cells (IHCs) and outer hair cells (OHCs) mediate two key functions: active amplification and non-linear compression of cochlear vibrations by OHCs and sound encoding by IHCs at their afferent synapses with the spiral ganglion neurons. OHCs and IHCs share some molecular physiology, e.g. mechanotransduction at the apical hair bundles, ribbon-type presynaptic active zones, and ionic conductances in the basolateral membrane. Unique features enabling their specific function include prestin-based electromotility of OHCs and indefatigable transmitter release at the highest known rates by ribbon-type IHC active zones. Despite their compact morphology, the molecular machineries that either generate electrical signals or are driven by these signals are essentially all segregated into local subcellular structures. This review provides a brief account on recent insights into the molecular physiology of cochlear hair cells with a specific focus on organization into membrane domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Effertz
- InnerEarLab, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099 Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Multiscale Bioimaging Cluster of Excellence (MBExC), University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dominik Oliver
- Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Philipps University, Deutschhausstraße 2, 35037 Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Universities of Marburg and Giessen, Germany
- DFG Research Training Group, Membrane Plasticity in Tissue Development and Remodelling, GRK 2213, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
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Hua Y, Ding X, Wang H, Wang F, Lu Y, Neef J, Gao Y, Moser T, Wu H. Electron Microscopic Reconstruction of Neural Circuitry in the Cochlea. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108551. [PMID: 33406431 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.108551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Revised: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies reveal great diversity in the structure, function, and efferent innervation of afferent synaptic connections between the cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs), which likely enables audition to process a wide range of sound pressures. By performing an extensive electron microscopic (EM) reconstruction of the neural circuitry in the mature mouse organ of Corti, we demonstrate that afferent SGN dendrites differ in abundance and composition of efferent innervation in a manner dependent on their afferent synaptic connectivity with IHCs. SGNs that sample glutamate release from several presynaptic ribbons receive more efferent innervation from lateral olivocochlear projections than those driven by a single ribbon. Next to the prevailing unbranched SGN dendrites, we found branched SGN dendrites that can contact several ribbons of 1-2 IHCs. Unexpectedly, medial olivocochlear neurons provide efferent innervation of SGN dendrites, preferring those forming single-ribbon, pillar-side synapses. We propose a fine-tuning of afferent and efferent SGN innervation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunfeng Hua
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China; Ear Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose Diseases, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Connectomics, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
| | - Xu Ding
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China; Ear Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Haoyu Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fangfang Wang
- Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Lu
- Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Jakob Neef
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Yunge Gao
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China; Ear Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany; Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany; Multiscale Bioimaging Cluster of Excellence, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China; Ear Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose Diseases, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Institute of Precision Medicine, Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
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