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Zhu Z, Reid W, George SS, Ou V, Ó Maoiléidigh D. 3D morphology of an outer-hair-cell hair bundle increases its displacement and dynamic range. Biophys J 2024:S0006-3495(24)00556-3. [PMID: 39161094 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
In mammals, outer-hair-cell hair bundles (OHBs) transduce sound-induced forces into receptor currents and are required for the wide dynamic range and high sensitivity of hearing. OHBs differ conspicuously in morphology from other types of bundles. Here, we show that the 3D morphology of an OHB greatly impacts its mechanics and transduction. An OHB comprises rod-like stereocilia, which pivot on the surface of its sensory outer hair cell. Stereocilium pivot positions are arranged in columns and form a V shape. We measure the pivot positions and determine that OHB columns are far from parallel. To calculate the consequences of an OHB's V shape and far-from-parallel columns, we develop a mathematical model of an OHB that relates its pivot positions, 3D morphology, mechanics, and receptor current. We find that the 3D morphology of the OHB can halve its stiffness, can double its damping coefficient, and causes stereocilium displacements driven by stimulus forces to differ substantially across the OHB. Stereocilium displacements drive the opening and closing of ion channels through which the receptor current flows. Owing to the stereocilium-displacement differences, the currents passing through the ion channels can peak versus the stimulus frequency and vary considerably across the OHB. Consequently, the receptor current peaks versus the stimulus frequency. Ultimately, the OHB's 3D morphology can increase its receptor-current dynamic range more than twofold. Our findings imply that potential pivot-position changes owing to development, mutations, or location within the mammalian auditory organ might greatly alter OHB function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zenghao Zhu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Wisam Reid
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California; Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Shefin Sam George
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Victoria Ou
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Dáibhid Ó Maoiléidigh
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California.
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2
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Altoè A, Shera CA. The Long Outer-Hair-Cell RC Time Constant: A Feature, Not a Bug, of the Mammalian Cochlea. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2023; 24:129-145. [PMID: 36725778 PMCID: PMC10121995 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-022-00884-w] [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: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The cochlea of the mammalian inner ear includes an active, hydromechanical amplifier thought to arise via the piezoelectric action of the outer hair cells (OHCs). A classic problem of cochlear biophysics is that the RC (resistance-capacitance) time constant of the hair-cell membrane appears inconveniently long, producing an effective cut-off frequency much lower than that of most audible sounds. The long RC time constant implies that the OHC receptor potential-and hence its electromotile response-decreases by roughly two orders of magnitude over the frequency range of mammalian hearing, casting doubt on the hypothesized role of cycle-by-cycle OHC-based amplification in mammalian hearing. Here, we review published data and basic physics to show that the "RC problem" has been magnified by viewing it through the wrong lens. Our analysis finds no appreciable mismatch between the expected magnitude of high-frequency electromotility and the sound-evoked displacements of the organ of Corti. Rather than precluding significant OHC-based boosts to auditory sensitivity, the long RC time constant appears beneficial for hearing, reducing the effects of internal noise and distortion while increasing the fidelity of cochlear amplification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Altoè
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Christopher A Shera
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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3
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Qiu X, Müller U. Sensing sound: Cellular specializations and molecular force sensors. Neuron 2022; 110:3667-3687. [PMID: 36223766 PMCID: PMC9671866 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Organisms of all phyla express mechanosensitive ion channels with a wide range of physiological functions. In recent years, several classes of mechanically gated ion channels have been identified. Some of these ion channels are intrinsically mechanosensitive. Others depend on accessory proteins to regulate their response to mechanical force. The mechanotransduction machinery of cochlear hair cells provides a particularly striking example of a complex force-sensing machine. This molecular ensemble is embedded into a specialized cellular compartment that is crucial for its function. Notably, mechanotransduction channels of cochlear hair cells are not only critical for auditory perception. They also shape their cellular environment and regulate the development of auditory circuitry. Here, we summarize recent discoveries that have shed light on the composition of the mechanotransduction machinery of cochlear hair cells and how this machinery contributes to the development and function of the auditory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xufeng Qiu
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Ulrich Müller
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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4
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Xia A, Udagawa T, Quiñones PM, Atkinson PJ, Applegate BE, Cheng AG, Oghalai JS. The impact of targeted ablation of one row of outer hair cells and Deiters' cells on cochlear amplification. J Neurophysiol 2022; 128:1365-1373. [PMID: 36259670 PMCID: PMC9678430 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00501.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian cochlea contains three rows of outer hair cells (OHCs) that amplify the basilar membrane traveling wave with high gain and exquisite tuning. The pattern of OHC loss caused by typical methods of producing hearing loss in animal models (noise, ototoxic exposure, or aging) is variable and not consistent along the length of the cochlea. Thus, it is difficult to use these approaches to understand how forces from multiple OHCs summate to create normal cochlear amplification. Here, we selectively removed the third row of OHCs and Deiters' cells in adult mice and measured cochlear amplification. In the mature cochlear epithelia, expression of the Wnt target gene Lgr5 is restricted to the third row of Deiters' cells, the supporting cells directly underneath the OHCs. Diphtheria toxin administration to Lgr5DTR-EGFP/+ mice selectively ablated the third row of Deiters' cells and the third row of OHCs. Basilar membrane vibration in vivo demonstrated disproportionately lower reduction in cochlear amplification by about 13.5 dB. On a linear scale, this means that the 33% reduction in OHC number led to a 79% reduction in gain. Thus, these experimental data describe the impact of reducing the force of cochlear amplification by a specific amount. Furthermore, these data argue that because OHC forces progressively and sequentially amplify the traveling wave as it travels to its peak, the loss of even a relatively small number of OHCs, when evenly distributed longitudinally, will cause a substantial reduction in cochlear amplification.NEW & NOTEWORTHY Normal cochlear physiology involves force production from three rows of outer hair cells to amplify and tune the traveling wave. Here, we used a genetic approach to target and ablate the third row of outer hair cells in the mouse cochlea and found it reduced cochlear amplification by 79%. This means that the loss of even a relatively small number of OHCs, when evenly distributed, causes a substantial reduction in cochlear amplification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anping Xia
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Tomokatsu Udagawa
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Patricia M Quiñones
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Patrick J Atkinson
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - Brian E Applegate
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Denney Research Center (DRB) 140, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Alan G Cheng
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
| | - John S Oghalai
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Denney Research Center (DRB) 140, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
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5
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cAMP and voltage modulate rat auditory mechanotransduction by decreasing the stiffness of gating springs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2107567119. [PMID: 35858439 PMCID: PMC9335186 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107567119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of auditory sensitivity contributes to the precision, dynamic range, and protection of the auditory system. Regulation of the hair cell mechanotransduction channel is a major contributor to controlling the sensitivity of the auditory transduction process. The gating spring is a critical piece of the mechanotransduction machinery because it opens and closes the mechanotransduction channel, and its stiffness regulates the sensitivity of the mechanotransduction process. In the present work, we characterize the effect of the second-messenger signaling molecule cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and identify that it reduces gating spring stiffness likely through an exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (EPAC)-mediated pathway. This is a unique physiologic mechanism to regulate gating spring stiffness. Hair cells of the auditory and vestibular systems transform mechanical input into electrical potentials through the mechanoelectrical transduction process (MET). Deflection of the mechanosensory hair bundle increases tension in the gating springs that open MET channels. Regulation of MET channel sensitivity contributes to the auditory system’s precision, wide dynamic range and, potentially, protection from overexcitation. Modulating the stiffness of the gating spring modulates the sensitivity of the MET process. Here, we investigated the role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in rat outer hair cell MET and found that cAMP up-regulation lowers the sensitivity of the channel in a manner consistent with decreasing gating spring stiffness. Direct measurements of the mechanical properties of the hair bundle confirmed a decrease in gating spring stiffness with cAMP up-regulation. In parallel, we found that prolonged depolarization mirrored the effects of cAMP. Finally, a limited number of experiments implicate that cAMP activates the exchange protein directly activated by cAMP to mediate the changes in MET sensitivity. These results reveal that cAMP signaling modulates gating spring stiffness to affect auditory sensitivity.
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6
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Caprara GA, Peng AW. Mechanotransduction in mammalian sensory hair cells. Mol Cell Neurosci 2022; 120:103706. [PMID: 35218890 PMCID: PMC9177625 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2022.103706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the inner ear, the auditory and vestibular systems detect and translate sensory information regarding sound and balance. The sensory cells that transform mechanical input into an electrical signal in these systems are called hair cells. A specialized organelle on the apical surface of hair cells called the hair bundle detects mechanical signals. Displacement of the hair bundle causes mechanotransduction channels to open. The morphology and organization of the hair bundle, as well as the properties and characteristics of the mechanotransduction process, differ between the different hair cell types in the auditory and vestibular systems. These differences likely contribute to maximizing the transduction of specific signals in each system. This review will discuss the molecules essential for mechanotransduction and the properties of the mechanotransduction process, focusing our attention on recent data and differences between the auditory and vestibular systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giusy A Caprara
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States of America
| | - Anthony W Peng
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States of America.
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7
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Pacentine IV, Barr-Gillespie PG. Cy3-ATP labeling of unfixed, permeabilized mouse hair cells. Sci Rep 2021; 11:23855. [PMID: 34903829 PMCID: PMC8668996 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03365-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
ATP-utilizing enzymes play key roles in hair bundles, the mechanically sensitive organelles of sensory hair cells in the inner ear. We used a fluorescent ATP analog, EDA-ATP-Cy3 (Cy3-ATP), to label ATP-binding proteins in two different preparations of unfixed hair-cell stereocilia of the mouse. In the first preparation, we lightly permeabilized dissected cochleas, then labeled them with Cy3-ATP. Hair cells and their stereocilia remained intact, and stereocilia tips in rows 1 and 2 were labeled particularly strongly with Cy3-ATP. In many cases, vanadate (Vi) traps nucleotides at the active site of myosin isoforms and presents nucleotide dissociation. Co-application with Vi enhanced the tip labeling, which is consistent with myosin isoforms being responsible. By contrast, the actin polymerization inhibitors latrunculin A and cytochalasin D had no effect, suggesting that actin turnover at stereocilia tips was not involved. Cy3-ATP labeling was substantially reduced—but did not disappear altogether—in mutant cochleas lacking MYO15A; by contrast, labeling remained robust in cochleas lacking MYO7A. In the second preparation, used to quantify Cy3-ATP labeling, we labeled vestibular stereocilia that had been adsorbed to glass, which demonstrated that tip labeling was higher in longer stereocilia. We found that tip signal was reduced by ~ 50% in Myo15ash2/sh2 stereocilia as compared to Myo15ash2/+stereocilia. These results suggest that MYO15A accounts for a substantial fraction of the Cy3-ATP tip labeling in vestibular hair cells, and so this novel preparation could be utilized to examine the control of MYO15A ATPase activity in situ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itallia V Pacentine
- Oregon Hearing Research Center & Vollum Institute, Mail Code L335A, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Peter G Barr-Gillespie
- Oregon Hearing Research Center & Vollum Institute, Mail Code L335A, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
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8
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Peng AW, Scharr AL, Caprara GA, Nettles D, Steele CR, Ricci AJ. Fluid Jet Stimulation of Auditory Hair Bundles Reveal Spatial Non-uniformities and Two Viscoelastic-Like Mechanisms. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:725101. [PMID: 34513845 PMCID: PMC8427531 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.725101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hair cell mechanosensitivity resides in the sensory hair bundle, an apical protrusion of actin-filled stereocilia arranged in a staircase pattern. Hair bundle deflection activates mechano-electric transduction (MET) ion channels located near the tops of the shorter rows of stereocilia. The elicited macroscopic current is shaped by the hair bundle motion so that the mode of stimulation greatly influences the cell’s output. We present data quantifying the displacement of the whole outer hair cell bundle using high-speed imaging when stimulated with a fluid jet. We find a spatially non-uniform stimulation that results in splaying, where the hair bundle expands apart. Based on modeling, the splaying is predominantly due to fluid dynamics with a small contribution from hair bundle architecture. Additionally, in response to stimulation, the hair bundle exhibited a rapid motion followed by a slower motion in the same direction (creep) that is described by a double exponential process. The creep is consistent with originating from a linear passive system that can be modeled using two viscoelastic processes. These viscoelastic mechanisms are integral to describing the mechanics of the mammalian hair bundle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony W Peng
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Alexandra L Scharr
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.,Neuroscience Graduate Program, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Giusy A Caprara
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Dailey Nettles
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Charles R Steele
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.,Department of Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautics and Astronautics, School of Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Anthony J Ricci
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States.,Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
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9
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Wang Y, Steele CR, Puria S, Ricci AJ. In situ motions of individual inner-hair-cell stereocilia from stapes stimulation in adult mice. Commun Biol 2021; 4:958. [PMID: 34381157 PMCID: PMC8357788 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-021-02459-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In vertebrate hearing organs, mechanical vibrations are converted to ionic currents through mechanoelectrical-transduction (MET) channels. Concerted stereocilia motion produces an ensemble MET current driving the hair-cell receptor potential. Mammalian cochleae are unique in that the tuning of sensory cells is determined by their mechanical environment and the mode of hair-bundle stimulation that their environment creates. However, little is known about the in situ intra-hair-bundle motions of stereocilia relative to one another, or to their environment. In this study, high-speed imaging allowed the stereocilium and cell-body motions of inner hair cells to be monitored in an ex vivo organ of Corti (OoC) mouse preparation. We have found that the OoC rotates about the base of the inner pillar cell, the hair bundle rotates about its base and lags behind the motion of the apical surface of the cell, and the individual stereocilia move semi-independently within a given hair bundle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanli Wang
- Otolaryngology-HNS, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Sunil Puria
- Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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10
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Liu S, Wang S, Zou L, Xiong W. Mechanisms in cochlear hair cell mechano-electrical transduction for acquisition of sound frequency and intensity. Cell Mol Life Sci 2021; 78:5083-5094. [PMID: 33871677 PMCID: PMC11072359 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-021-03840-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Sound signals are acquired and digitized in the cochlea by the hair cells that further transmit the coded information to the central auditory pathways. Any defect in hair cell function may induce problems in the auditory system and hearing-based brain function. In the past 2 decades, our understanding of auditory transduction has been substantially deepened because of advances in molecular, structural, and functional studies. Results from these experiments can be perfectly embedded in the previously established profile from anatomical, histological, genetic, and biophysical research. This review aims to summarize the progress on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of the mechano-electrical transduction (MET) channel in the cochlear hair cells, which is involved in the acquisition of sound frequency and intensity-the two major parameters of an acoustic cue. We also discuss recent studies on TMC1, the molecule likely to form the MET channel pore.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuang Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing, 100084, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua University, Tsinghua University, 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Shufeng Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing, 100084, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua University, Tsinghua University, 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Linzhi Zou
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing, 100084, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua University, Tsinghua University, 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing, 100084, China.
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Tsinghua University, Tsinghua University, 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing, 100084, China.
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11
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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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12
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Lv J, Fu X, Li Y, Hong G, Li P, Lin J, Xun Y, Fang L, Weng W, Yue R, Li GL, Guan B, Li H, Huang Y, Chai R. Deletion of Kcnj16 in Mice Does Not Alter Auditory Function. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:630361. [PMID: 33693002 PMCID: PMC7937937 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.630361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Accepted: 01/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Endolymphatic potential (EP) is the main driving force behind the sensory transduction of hearing, and K+ is the main charge carrier. Kir5.1 is a K+ transporter that plays a significant role in maintaining EP homeostasis, but the expression pattern and role of Kir5.1 (which is encoded by the Kcnj16 gene) in the mouse auditory system has remained unclear. In this study, we found that Kir5.1 was expressed in the mouse cochlea. We checked the inner ear morphology and measured auditory function in Kcnj16–/– mice and found that loss of Kcnj16 did not appear to affect the development of hair cells. There was no significant difference in auditory function between Kcnj16–/– mice and wild-type littermates, although the expression of Kcnma1, Kcnq4, and Kcne1 were significantly decreased in the Kcnj16–/– mice. Additionally, no significant differences were found in the number or distribution of ribbon synapses between the Kcnj16–/– and wild-type mice. In summary, our results suggest that the Kcnj16 gene is not essential for auditory function in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Lv
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xiaolong Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Jiangsu Province High-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-Medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yige Li
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Jiangsu Province High-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-Medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Guodong Hong
- State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Jiangsu Province High-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-Medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Peipei Li
- School of Life Sciences and Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Experimental Teratology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Jing Lin
- Waksman Institute, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Youfang Xun
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Clinical Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Lucheng Fang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Weibin Weng
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Rongyu Yue
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Geng-Lin Li
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology and ENT Institute, Eye and ENT Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Bing Guan
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Clinical Medical College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - He Li
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yideng Huang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Hwa Mei Hospital, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, China
| | - Renjie Chai
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China.,State Key Laboratory of Bioelectronics, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Jiangsu Province High-Tech Key Laboratory for Bio-Medical Research, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.,Co-Innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Altoè A, Shera CA. The cochlear ear horn: geometric origin of tonotopic variations in auditory signal processing. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20528. [PMID: 33239701 PMCID: PMC7689495 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77042-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
While separating sounds into frequency components and subsequently converting them into patterns of neural firing, the mammalian cochlea processes signal components in ways that depend strongly on frequency. Indeed, both the temporal structure of the response to transient stimuli and the sharpness of frequency tuning differ dramatically between the apical and basal (i.e., the low- and high-frequency) regions of the cochlea. Although the mechanisms that give rise to these pronounced differences remain incompletely understood, they are generally attributed to tonotopic variations in the constituent hair cells or cytoarchitecture of the organ of Corti. As counterpoint to this view, we present a general acoustic treatment of the horn-like geometry of the cochlea, accompanied by a simple 3-D model to elucidate the theoretical predictions. We show that the main apical/basal functional differences can be accounted for by the known spatial gradients of cochlear dimensions, without the need to invoke mechanical specializations of the sensory tissue. Furthermore, our analysis demonstrates that through its functional resemblance to an ear horn (aka ear trumpet), the geometry of the cochlear duct manifests tapering symmetry, a felicitous design principle that may have evolved not only to aid the analysis of natural sounds but to enhance the sensitivity of hearing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro Altoè
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Christopher A Shera
- Caruso Department of Otolaryngology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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14
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Strimbu CE, Wang Y, Olson ES. Manipulation of the Endocochlear Potential Reveals Two Distinct Types of Cochlear Nonlinearity. Biophys J 2020; 119:2087-2101. [PMID: 33091378 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The mammalian hearing organ, the cochlea, contains an active amplifier to boost the vibrational response to low level sounds. Hallmarks of this active process are sharp location-dependent frequency tuning and compressive nonlinearity over a wide stimulus range. The amplifier relies on outer hair cell (OHC)-generated forces driven in part by the endocochlear potential, the ∼+80 mV potential maintained in scala media, generated by the stria vascularis. We transiently eliminated the endocochlear potential in vivo by an intravenous injection of furosemide and measured the vibrations of different layers in the cochlea's organ of Corti using optical coherence tomography. Distortion product otoacoustic emissions were also monitored. After furosemide injection, the vibrations of the basilar membrane lost the best frequency (BF) peak and showed broad tuning similar to a passive cochlea. The intra-organ of Corti vibrations measured in the region of the OHCs lost the BF peak and showed low-pass responses but retained nonlinearity. This strongly suggests that OHC electromotility was operating and being driven by nonlinear OHC current. Thus, although electromotility is presumably necessary to produce a healthy BF peak, the mere presence of electromotility is not sufficient. The BF peak recovered nearly fully within 2 h, along with the recovery of odd-order distortion product otoacoustic emissions. The recovery pattern suggests that physical shifts in operating condition are a critical step in the recovery process.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Elliott Strimbu
- Columbia University Medical Center, Department of Otolaryngology, New York, New York
| | - Yi Wang
- Columbia University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York, New York
| | - Elizabeth S Olson
- Columbia University Medical Center, Department of Otolaryngology, New York, New York; Columbia University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York, New York.
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15
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Caprara GA, Mecca AA, Peng AW. Decades-old model of slow adaptation in sensory hair cells is not supported in mammals. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eabb4922. [PMID: 32851178 PMCID: PMC7428330 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abb4922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Hair cells detect sound and motion through a mechano-electric transduction (MET) process mediated by tip links connecting shorter stereocilia to adjacent taller stereocilia. Adaptation is a key feature of MET that regulates a cell's dynamic range and frequency selectivity. A decades-old hypothesis proposes that slow adaptation requires myosin motors to modulate the tip-link position on taller stereocilia. This "motor model" depended on data suggesting that the receptor current decay had a time course similar to that of hair-bundle creep (a continued movement in the direction of a step-like force stimulus). Using cochlear and vestibular hair cells of mice, rats, and gerbils, we assessed how modulating adaptation affected hair-bundle creep. Our results are consistent with slow adaptation requiring myosin motors. However, the hair-bundle creep and slow adaptation were uncorrelated, challenging a critical piece of evidence upholding the motor model. Considering these data, we propose a revised model of hair cell adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giusy A. Caprara
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Andrew A. Mecca
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
| | - Anthony W. Peng
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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Li S, Mecca A, Kim J, Caprara GA, Wagner EL, Du TT, Petrov L, Xu W, Cui R, Rebustini IT, Kachar B, Peng AW, Shin JB. Myosin-VIIa is expressed in multiple isoforms and essential for tensioning the hair cell mechanotransduction complex. Nat Commun 2020; 11:2066. [PMID: 32350269 PMCID: PMC7190839 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15936-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in myosin-VIIa (MYO7A) cause Usher syndrome type 1, characterized by combined deafness and blindness. MYO7A is proposed to function as a motor that tensions the hair cell mechanotransduction (MET) complex, but conclusive evidence is lacking. Here we report that multiple MYO7A isoforms are expressed in the mouse cochlea. In mice with a specific deletion of the canonical isoform (Myo7a-ΔC mouse), MYO7A is severely diminished in inner hair cells (IHCs), while expression in outer hair cells is affected tonotopically. IHCs of Myo7a-ΔC mice undergo normal development, but exhibit reduced resting open probability and slowed onset of MET currents, consistent with MYO7A's proposed role in tensioning the tip link. Mature IHCs of Myo7a-ΔC mice degenerate over time, giving rise to progressive hearing loss. Taken together, our study reveals an unexpected isoform diversity of MYO7A expression in the cochlea and highlights MYO7A's essential role in tensioning the hair cell MET complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihan Li
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Andrew Mecca
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Jeewoo Kim
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Giusy A Caprara
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Elizabeth L Wagner
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Ting-Ting Du
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Leonid Petrov
- Department of Mathematics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Wenhao Xu
- Genetically Engineered Murine Model (GEMM) Core, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
| | - Runjia Cui
- National Institute for Deafness and Communications Disorders, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ivan T Rebustini
- National Institute for Deafness and Communications Disorders, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Bechara Kachar
- National Institute for Deafness and Communications Disorders, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Anthony W Peng
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA.
| | - Jung-Bum Shin
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA. .,Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA.
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