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Sun P, Smith E, Nicolson T. Transmembrane Channel-Like (Tmc) Subunits Contribute to Frequency Sensitivity in the Zebrafish Utricle. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1298232023. [PMID: 37952940 PMCID: PMC10851681 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1298-23.2023] [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: 07/12/2023] [Revised: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Information about dynamic head motion is conveyed by a central "striolar" zone of vestibular hair cells and afferent neurons in the inner ear. How vestibular hair cells are tuned to transduce dynamic stimuli at the molecular level is not well understood. Here we take advantage of the differential expression pattern of tmc1, tmc2a, and tmc2b, which encode channel subunits of the mechanotransduction complex in zebrafish vestibular hair cells. To test the role of various combinations of Tmc subunits in transducing dynamic head movements, we measured reflexive eye movements induced by high-frequency stimuli in single versus double tmc mutants. We found that Tmc2a function correlates with the broadest range of frequency sensitivity, whereas Tmc2b mainly contributes to lower-frequency responses. Tmc1, which is largely excluded from the striolar zone, plays a minor role in sensing lower-frequency stimuli. Our study suggests that the Tmc subunits impart functional differences to the mechanotransduction of dynamic stimuli.Significance Statement Information about dynamic head movements is transmitted by sensory receptors, known as hair cells, in the labyrinth of the inner ear. The sensitivity of hair cells to fast or slow movements of the head differs according to cell type. Whether the mechanotransduction complex that converts mechanical stimuli into electrical signals in hair cells participates in conveying frequency information is not clear. Here we find that the transmembrane channel-like 1/2 genes, which encode a central component of the complex, are differentially expressed in the utricle and contribute to frequency sensitivity in zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Sun
- Department of Otolaryngology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94304
| | - Eliot Smith
- Department of Otolaryngology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94304
| | - Teresa Nicolson
- Department of Otolaryngology, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94304
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2
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Warren B, Eberl D. What can insects teach us about hearing loss? J Physiol 2024; 602:297-316. [PMID: 38128023 DOI: 10.1113/jp281281] [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: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the last three decades, insects have been utilized to provide a deep and fundamental understanding of many human diseases and disorders. Here, we present arguments for insects as models to understand general principles underlying hearing loss. Despite ∼600 million years since the last common ancestor of vertebrates and invertebrates, we share an overwhelming degree of genetic homology particularly with respect to auditory organ development and maintenance. Despite the anatomical differences between human and insect auditory organs, both share physiological principles of operation. We explain why these observations are expected and highlight areas in hearing loss research in which insects can provide insight. We start by briefly introducing the evolutionary journey of auditory organs, the reasons for using insect auditory organs for hearing loss research, and the tools and approaches available in insects. Then, the first half of the review focuses on auditory development and auditory disorders with a genetic cause. The second half analyses the physiological and genetic consequences of ageing and short- and long-term changes as a result of noise exposure. We finish with complex age and noise interactions in auditory systems. In this review, we present some of the evidence and arguments to support the use of insects to study mechanisms and potential treatments for hearing loss in humans. Obviously, insects cannot fully substitute for all aspects of human auditory function and loss of function, although there are many important questions that can be addressed in an animal model for which there are important ethical, practical and experimental advantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ben Warren
- Neurogenetics Group, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Daniel Eberl
- Department of Biology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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3
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Clark S, Mitra J, Elferich J, Goehring A, Ge J, Ha T, Gouaux E. Single molecule studies of the native hair cell mechanosensory transduction complex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.11.571162. [PMID: 38168376 PMCID: PMC10760052 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.11.571162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Hearing and balance rely on the conversion of a mechanical stimulus into an electrical signal, a process known as mechanosensory transduction (MT). In vertebrates, this process is accomplished by an MT complex that is located in hair cells of the inner ear. While the past three decades of research have identified many subunits that are important for MT and revealed interactions between these subunits, the composition and organization of a functional complex remains unknown. The major challenge associated with studying the MT complex is its extremely low abundance in hair cells; current estimates of MT complex quantity range from 3-60 attomoles per cochlea or utricle, well below the detection limit of most biochemical assays that are used to characterize macromolecular complexes. Here we describe the optimization of two single molecule assays, single molecule pull-down (SiMPull) and single molecule array (SiMoA), to study the composition and quantity of native mouse MT complexes. We demonstrate that these assays are capable of detecting and quantifying low attomoles of the native MT subunits protocadherin-15 (PCDH15) and lipoma HMGIC fusion partner-like protein 5 (LHFPL5). Our results illuminate the stoichiometry of PCDH15- and LHFPL5-containing complexes and establish SiMPull and SiMoA as productive methods for probing the abundance, composition, and arrangement of subunits in the native MT complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Clark
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
- Present address: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Jaba Mitra
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
- Present address: Pacific Biosciences, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Johannes Elferich
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
- Present address: UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - April Goehring
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Jingpeng Ge
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
- Present address: School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Pudong, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Taekjip Ha
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21215, USA
- Present address: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Present address: Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Eric Gouaux
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
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4
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Goulty M, Botton-Amiot G, Rosato E, Sprecher SG, Feuda R. The monoaminergic system is a bilaterian innovation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3284. [PMID: 37280201 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39030-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Monoamines like serotonin, dopamine, and adrenaline/noradrenaline (epinephrine/norepinephrine) act as neuromodulators in the nervous system. They play a role in complex behaviours, cognitive functions such as learning and memory formation, as well as fundamental homeostatic processes such as sleep and feeding. However, the evolutionary origin of the genes required for monoaminergic modulation is uncertain. Using a phylogenomic approach, in this study, we show that most of the genes involved in monoamine production, modulation, and reception originated in the bilaterian stem group. This suggests that the monoaminergic system is a bilaterian novelty and that its evolution may have contributed to the Cambrian diversification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Goulty
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicestershire, UK
| | - Gaelle Botton-Amiot
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Fribourg, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Ezio Rosato
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicestershire, UK
| | - Simon G Sprecher
- Department of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Fribourg, CH-1700, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Roberto Feuda
- Department of Genetics and Genome Biology, University of Leicester, Leicestershire, UK.
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5
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Jeong H, Clark S, Goehring A, Dehghani-Ghahnaviyeh S, Rasouli A, Tajkhorshid E, Gouaux E. Structures of the TMC-1 complex illuminate mechanosensory transduction. Nature 2022; 610:796-803. [PMID: 36224384 PMCID: PMC9605866 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05314-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The initial step in the sensory transduction pathway underpinning hearing and balance in mammals involves the conversion of force into the gating of a mechanosensory transduction channel1. Despite the profound socioeconomic impacts of hearing disorders and the fundamental biological significance of understanding mechanosensory transduction, the composition, structure and mechanism of the mechanosensory transduction complex have remained poorly characterized. Here we report the single-particle cryo-electron microscopy structure of the native transmembrane channel-like protein 1 (TMC-1) mechanosensory transduction complex isolated from Caenorhabditis elegans. The two-fold symmetric complex is composed of two copies each of the pore-forming TMC-1 subunit, the calcium-binding protein CALM-1 and the transmembrane inner ear protein TMIE. CALM-1 makes extensive contacts with the cytoplasmic face of the TMC-1 subunits, whereas the single-pass TMIE subunits reside on the periphery of the complex, poised like the handles of an accordion. A subset of complexes additionally includes a single arrestin-like protein, arrestin domain protein (ARRD-6), bound to a CALM-1 subunit. Single-particle reconstructions and molecular dynamics simulations show how the mechanosensory transduction complex deforms the membrane bilayer and suggest crucial roles for lipid-protein interactions in the mechanism by which mechanical force is transduced to ion channel gating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanbin Jeong
- grid.433851.80000 0004 0608 3919Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR USA
| | - Sarah Clark
- grid.433851.80000 0004 0608 3919Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR USA
| | - April Goehring
- grid.433851.80000 0004 0608 3919Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR USA ,grid.5288.70000 0000 9758 5690Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR USA
| | - Sepehr Dehghani-Ghahnaviyeh
- grid.35403.310000 0004 1936 9991Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL USA ,grid.35403.310000 0004 1936 9991Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL USA ,grid.35403.310000 0004 1936 9991Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL USA
| | - Ali Rasouli
- grid.35403.310000 0004 1936 9991Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL USA ,grid.35403.310000 0004 1936 9991Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL USA ,grid.35403.310000 0004 1936 9991Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL USA
| | - Emad Tajkhorshid
- grid.35403.310000 0004 1936 9991Theoretical and Computational Biophysics Group, NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL USA ,grid.35403.310000 0004 1936 9991Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL USA ,grid.35403.310000 0004 1936 9991Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL USA
| | - Eric Gouaux
- grid.433851.80000 0004 0608 3919Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR USA ,grid.5288.70000 0000 9758 5690Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR USA
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6
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Liang X, Qiu X, Dionne G, Cunningham CL, Pucak ML, Peng G, Kim YH, Lauer A, Shapiro L, Müller U. CIB2 and CIB3 are auxiliary subunits of the mechanotransduction channel of hair cells. Neuron 2021; 109:2131-2149.e15. [PMID: 34089643 PMCID: PMC8374959 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
CIB2 is a Ca2+- and Mg2+-binding protein essential for mechanoelectrical transduction (MET) by cochlear hair cells, but not by vestibular hair cells that co-express CIB2 and CIB3. Here, we show that in cochlear hair cells, CIB3 can functionally substitute for CIB2. Using X-ray crystallography, we demonstrate that CIB2 and CIB3 are structurally similar to KChIP proteins, auxiliary subunits of voltage-gated Kv4 channels. CIB2 and CIB3 bind to TMC1/2 through a domain in TMC1/2 flanked by transmembrane domains 2 and 3. The co-crystal structure of the CIB-binding domain in TMC1 with CIB3 reveals that interactions are mediated through a conserved CIB hydrophobic groove, similar to KChIP1 binding of Kv4. Functional studies in mice show that CIB2 regulates TMC1/2 localization and function in hair cells, processes that are affected by deafness-causing CIB2 mutations. We conclude that CIB2 and CIB3 are MET channel auxiliary subunits with striking similarity to Kv4 channel auxiliary subunits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoping Liang
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Xufeng Qiu
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Gilman Dionne
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Zuckerman Mind Brain, Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Christopher L Cunningham
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Michele L Pucak
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Guihong Peng
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Ye-Hyun Kim
- Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Amanda Lauer
- Department of Otolaryngology-HNS, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Lawrence Shapiro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Zuckerman Mind Brain, Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Ulrich Müller
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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7
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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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8
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Vyas P, Wood MB, Zhang Y, Goldring AC, Chakir FZ, Fuchs PA, Hiel H. Characterization of HA-tagged α9 and α10 nAChRs in the mouse cochlea. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21814. [PMID: 33311584 PMCID: PMC7733449 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-78380-5] [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: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurons of the medial olivary complex inhibit cochlear hair cells through the activation of α9α10-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). Efforts to study the localization of these proteins have been hampered by the absence of reliable antibodies. To overcome this obstacle, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing was used to generate mice in which a hemagglutinin tag (HA) was attached to the C-terminus of either α9 or α10 proteins. Immunodetection of the HA tag on either subunit in the organ of Corti of adult mice revealed immunopuncta clustered at the synaptic pole of outer hair cells. These puncta were juxtaposed to immunolabeled presynaptic efferent terminals. HA immunopuncta also occurred in inner hair cells of pre-hearing (P7) but not in adult mice. These immunolabeling patterns were similar for both homozygous and heterozygous mice. All HA-tagged genotypes had auditory brainstem responses not significantly different from those of wild type littermates. The activation of efferent neurons in heterozygous mice evoked biphasic postsynaptic currents not significantly different from those of wild type hair cells. However, efferent synaptic responses were significantly smaller and less frequent in the homozygous mice. We show that HA-tagged nAChRs introduced in the mouse by a CRISPR knock-in are regulated and expressed like the native protein, and in the heterozygous condition mediate normal synaptic function. The animals thus generated have clear advantages for localization studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pankhuri Vyas
- The Center for Hearing and Balance, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 818, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Megan Beers Wood
- The Center for Hearing and Balance, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 818, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Yuanyuan Zhang
- The Center for Hearing and Balance, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 818, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.,Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430060, Hubei, China
| | - Adam C Goldring
- The Center for Hearing and Balance, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 818, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.,Sutter Instrument Company, 1 Digital Drive, Novato, CA, 94949, USA
| | - Fatima-Zahra Chakir
- The Center for Hearing and Balance, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 818, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Paul Albert Fuchs
- The Center for Hearing and Balance, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 818, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Hakim Hiel
- The Center for Hearing and Balance, Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Avenue, Ross 818, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
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9
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Cunningham CL, Qiu X, Wu Z, Zhao B, Peng G, Kim YH, Lauer A, Müller U. TMIE Defines Pore and Gating Properties of the Mechanotransduction Channel of Mammalian Cochlear Hair Cells. Neuron 2020; 107:126-143.e8. [PMID: 32343945 PMCID: PMC7351599 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Revised: 02/24/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
TMC1 and TMC2 (TMC1/2) have been proposed to form the pore of the mechanotransduction channel of cochlear hair cells. Here, we show that TMC1/2 cannot form mechanotransduction channels in cochlear hair cells without TMIE. TMIE binds to TMC1/2, and a TMIE mutation that perturbs TMC1/2 binding abolishes mechanotransduction. N-terminal TMIE deletions affect the response of the mechanotransduction channel to mechanical force. Similar to mechanically gated TREK channels, the C-terminal cytoplasmic TMIE domain contains charged amino acids that mediate binding to phospholipids, including PIP2. TMIE point mutations in the C terminus that are linked to deafness disrupt phospholipid binding, sensitize the channel to PIP2 depletion from hair cells, and alter the channel's unitary conductance and ion selectivity. We conclude that TMIE is a subunit of the cochlear mechanotransduction channel and that channel function is regulated by a phospholipid-sensing domain in TMIE with similarity to those in other mechanically gated ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Cunningham
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Xufeng Qiu
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Zizhen Wu
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Bo Zhao
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Guihong Peng
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Ye-Hyun Kim
- Department of Otolaryngology - HNS, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Amanda Lauer
- Department of Otolaryngology - HNS, 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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10
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Erickson T, Pacentine IV, Venuto A, Clemens R, Nicolson T. The lhfpl5 Ohnologs lhfpl5a and lhfpl5b Are Required for Mechanotransduction in Distinct Populations of Sensory Hair Cells in Zebrafish. Front Mol Neurosci 2020; 12:320. [PMID: 32009898 PMCID: PMC6974483 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2019.00320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Hair cells sense and transmit auditory, vestibular, and hydrodynamic information by converting mechanical stimuli into electrical signals. This process of mechano-electrical transduction (MET) requires a mechanically gated channel localized in the apical stereocilia of hair cells. In mice, lipoma HMGIC fusion partner-like 5 (LHFPL5) acts as an auxiliary subunit of the MET channel whose primary role is to correctly localize PCDH15 and TMC1 to the mechanotransduction complex. Zebrafish have two lhfpl5 genes (lhfpl5a and lhfpl5b), but their individual contributions to MET channel assembly and function have not been analyzed. Here we show that the zebrafish lhfpl5 genes are expressed in discrete populations of hair cells: lhfpl5a expression is restricted to auditory and vestibular hair cells in the inner ear, while lhfpl5b expression is specific to hair cells of the lateral line organ. Consequently, lhfpl5a mutants exhibit defects in auditory and vestibular function, while disruption of lhfpl5b affects hair cells only in the lateral line neuromasts. In contrast to previous reports in mice, localization of Tmc1 does not depend upon Lhfpl5 function in either the inner ear or lateral line organ. In both lhfpl5a and lhfpl5b mutants, GFP-tagged Tmc1 and Tmc2b proteins still localize to the stereocilia of hair cells. Using a stably integrated GFP-Lhfpl5a transgene, we show that the tip link cadherins Pcdh15a and Cdh23, along with the Myo7aa motor protein, are required for correct Lhfpl5a localization at the tips of stereocilia. Our work corroborates the evolutionarily conserved co-dependence between Lhfpl5 and Pcdh15, but also reveals novel requirements for Cdh23 and Myo7aa to correctly localize Lhfpl5a. In addition, our data suggest that targeting of Tmc1 and Tmc2b proteins to stereocilia in zebrafish hair cells occurs independently of Lhfpl5 proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy Erickson
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States.,Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Itallia V Pacentine
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Alexandra Venuto
- Department of Biology, East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, United States
| | - Rachel Clemens
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Teresa Nicolson
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, United States
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11
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Yue X, Sheng Y, Kang L, Xiao R. Distinct functions of TMC channels: a comparative overview. Cell Mol Life Sci 2019; 76:4221-4232. [PMID: 31584127 PMCID: PMC11105308 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-019-03214-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 06/25/2019] [Accepted: 06/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In the past two decades, transmembrane channel-like (TMC) proteins have attracted a significant amount of research interest, because mutations of Tmc1 lead to hereditary deafness. As evolutionarily conserved membrane proteins, TMC proteins are widely involved in diverse sensorimotor functions of many species, such as hearing, chemosensation, egg laying, and food texture detection. Interestingly, recent structural and physiological studies suggest that TMC channels may share a similar membrane topology with the Ca2+-activated Cl- channel TMEM16 and the mechanically activated OSCA1.2/TMEM63 channel. Namely, these channels form dimers and each subunit consists of ten transmembrane segments. Despite this important structural insight, a key question remains: what is the gating mechanism of TMC channels? The major technical hurdle to answer this question is that the reconstitution of TMC proteins as functional ion channels has been challenging in mammalian heterologous systems. Since TMC channels are conserved across taxa, genetic studies of TMC channels in model organisms such as C. elegans, Drosophila, and zebrafish may provide us critical information on the physiological function and regulation of TMCs. Here, we present a comparative overview on the diverse functions of TMC channels in different species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomin Yue
- Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Neuroscience, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yi Sheng
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lijun Kang
- Department of Neurosurgery of the First Affiliated Hospital, Institute of Neuroscience, NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
| | - Rui Xiao
- Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Center for Smell and Taste, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
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Corey DP, Akyuz N, Holt JR. Function and Dysfunction of TMC Channels in Inner Ear Hair Cells. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2019; 9:cshperspect.a033506. [PMID: 30291150 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a033506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The TMC1 channel was identified as a protein essential for hearing in mouse and human, and recognized as one of a family of eight such proteins in mammals. The TMC family is part of a superfamily of seven branches, which includes the TMEM16s. Vertebrate hair cells express both TMC1 and TMC2. They are located at the tips of stereocilia and are required for hair cell mechanotransduction. TMC1 assembles as a dimer and its similarity to the TMEM16s has enabled a predicted tertiary structure with an ion conduction pore in each subunit of the dimer. Cysteine mutagenesis of the pore supports the role of TMC1 and TMC2 as the core channel proteins of a larger mechanotransduction complex that includes PCDH15 and LHFPL5, and perhaps TMIE, CIB2 and others.
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Affiliation(s)
- David P Corey
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Nurunisa Akyuz
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Jeffrey R Holt
- Departments of Otolaryngology and Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
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13
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Cunningham CL, Müller U. Molecular Structure of the Hair Cell Mechanoelectrical Transduction Complex. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2019; 9:cshperspect.a033167. [PMID: 30082452 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a033167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cochlear hair cells employ mechanically gated ion channels located in stereocilia that open in response to sound wave-induced motion of the basilar membrane, converting mechanical stimulation to graded changes in hair cell membrane potential. Membrane potential changes in hair cells cause neurotransmitter release from hair cells that initiate electrical signals in the nerve terminals of afferent fibers from spiral ganglion neurons. These signals are then propagated within the central nervous system (CNS) to mediate the sensation of hearing. Recent studies show that the mechanoelectrical transduction (MET) machinery of hair cells is formed by an ensemble of proteins. Candidate components forming the MET channel have been identified, but none alone fulfills all criteria necessary to define them as pore-forming subunits of the MET channel. We will review here recent findings on the identification and function of proteins that are components of the MET machinery in hair cells and consider remaining open questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L Cunningham
- The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Ulrich Müller
- The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
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14
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Pacentine IV, Nicolson T. Subunits of the mechano-electrical transduction channel, Tmc1/2b, require Tmie to localize in zebrafish sensory hair cells. PLoS Genet 2019; 15:e1007635. [PMID: 30726219 PMCID: PMC6380590 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1007635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Revised: 02/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Mutations in transmembrane inner ear (TMIE) cause deafness in humans; previous studies suggest involvement in the mechano-electrical transduction (MET) complex in sensory hair cells, but TMIE’s precise role is unclear. In tmie zebrafish mutants, we observed that GFP-tagged Tmc1 and Tmc2b, which are subunits of the MET channel, fail to target to the hair bundle. In contrast, overexpression of Tmie strongly enhances the targeting of Tmc1-GFP and Tmc2b-GFP to stereocilia. To identify the motifs of Tmie underlying the regulation of the Tmcs, we systematically deleted or replaced peptide segments. We then assessed localization and functional rescue of each mutated/chimeric form of Tmie in tmie mutants. We determined that the first putative helix was dispensable and identified a novel critical region of Tmie, the extracellular region and transmembrane domain, which is required for both mechanosensitivity and Tmc2b-GFP expression in bundles. Collectively, our results suggest that Tmie’s role in sensory hair cells is to target and stabilize Tmc channel subunits to the site of MET. Hair cells mediate hearing and balance through the activity of a mechanosensitive channel in the cell membrane. The transmembrane inner ear (TMIE) protein is an essential component of the protein complex that gates this so-called mechanotransduction channel. While it is known that loss of TMIE results in deafness, the function of TMIE within the complex is unclear. Using zebrafish as a deafness model, Pacentine and Nicolson demonstrate that Tmie is required for the localization of the channel subunits, transmembrane channel-like (Tmc) proteins Tmc1/2b. They then evaluate thirteen unique versions of Tmie, each containing mutations in different domains of Tmie. This analysis reveals that specific mutated versions of Tmie reduce hair cell activity, and that these same dysfunctional versions also cause reduced Tmc expression at the normal site of the channel. These findings link hair cell activity with the levels of Tmc in the bundle, reinforcing the notion that the Tmcs are the pore-forming subunits of the mechanotransduction channel. The authors conclude that Tmie, through distinct regions, is involved in both trafficking and stabilizing the channels at the site of mechanotransduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Itallia V. Pacentine
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Teresa Nicolson
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Pickett SB, Raible DW. Water Waves to Sound Waves: Using Zebrafish to Explore Hair Cell Biology. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2019; 20:1-19. [PMID: 30635804 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-018-00711-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Although perhaps best known for their use in developmental studies, over the last couple of decades, zebrafish have become increasingly popular model organisms for investigating auditory system function and disease. Like mammals, zebrafish possess inner ear mechanosensory hair cells required for hearing, as well as superficial hair cells of the lateral line sensory system, which mediate detection of directional water flow. Complementing mammalian studies, zebrafish have been used to gain significant insights into many facets of hair cell biology, including mechanotransduction and synaptic physiology as well as mechanisms of both hereditary and acquired hair cell dysfunction. Here, we provide an overview of this literature, highlighting some of the particular advantages of using zebrafish to investigate hearing and hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B Pickett
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Health Sciences Building H-501, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 357420, Seattle, WA, 98195-7420, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 357270, Seattle, WA, 98195-7270, USA
| | - David W Raible
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Health Sciences Building H-501, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 357420, Seattle, WA, 98195-7420, USA.
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 357270, Seattle, WA, 98195-7270, USA.
- Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, University of Washington, 1701 NE Columbia Rd, Box 357923, Seattle, WA, 98195-7923, USA.
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Jaiganesh A, Narui Y, Araya-Secchi R, Sotomayor M. Beyond Cell-Cell Adhesion: Sensational Cadherins for Hearing and Balance. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2018; 10:a029280. [PMID: 28847902 PMCID: PMC6008173 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a029280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cadherins form a large family of proteins often involved in calcium-dependent cellular adhesion. Although classical members of the family can provide a physical bond between cells, a subset of special cadherins use their extracellular domains to interlink apical specializations of single epithelial sensory cells. Two of these cadherins, cadherin-23 (CDH23) and protocadherin-15 (PCDH15), form extracellular "tip link" filaments that connect apical bundles of stereocilia on hair cells essential for inner-ear mechanotransduction. As these bundles deflect in response to mechanical stimuli from sound or head movements, tip links gate hair-cell mechanosensitive channels to initiate sensory perception. Here, we review the unusual and diverse structural properties of these tip-link cadherins and the functional significance of their deafness-related missense mutations. Based on the structural features of CDH23 and PCDH15, we discuss the elasticity of tip links and models that bridge the gap between the nanomechanics of cadherins and the micromechanics of hair-cell bundles during inner-ear mechanotransduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avinash Jaiganesh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Yoshie Narui
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Raul Araya-Secchi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Marcos Sotomayor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
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