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A cytoskeletal spring in cochlear outer hair cells.

M C Holley1, J F Ashmore

  • 1Department of Physiology, Medical School, Bristol, UK.

Nature
|October 13, 1988
PubMed
Summary

The outer hair cell

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Area of Science:

  • Cellular mechanics
  • Auditory neuroscience
  • Cochlear physiology

Background:

  • Mammalian hearing relies on the cochlea's active mechanical filtering.
  • Outer hair cells are key components influencing basilar membrane movement for frequency separation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the structural basis of outer hair cell mechanical properties.
  • To elucidate the role of the subplasmalemmal cytoskeleton in cellular mechanics.

Main Methods:

  • Light and electron microscopy were used to examine the subplasmalemmal structure of outer hair cells.
  • Mechanical deformation and demembranation experiments were performed.
  • Direct measurements of cellular stiffness were conducted.

Main Results:

  • A lattice of crosslinked circumferential filaments was identified beneath the outer hair cell plasma membrane.
  • This lattice structure, resembling a coiled helical spring, maintains cell shape after deformation.
  • The lattice contributes significantly (5-10%) to the cell's longitudinal stiffness.

Conclusions:

  • The circumferential lattice is crucial for outer hair cell function as directed force generators.
  • This structure is essential for the micromechanical processes within the organ of Corti.
  • Understanding this cellular mechanism advances knowledge of normal hearing.

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