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Updated: Nov 26, 2025

In Vivo Calcium Imaging of Lateral-line Hair Cells in Larval Zebrafish
Published on: November 28, 2018
Rat Auditory Inner Hair Cell Mechanotransduction and Stereociliary Membrane Diffusivity Are Similarly Modulated by
Shefin S George1, Charles R Steele2, Anthony J Ricci1,3
1Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Stanford University, 240 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Abstract:
The lipid bilayer plays a pivotal role in force transmission to many mechanically-gated channels. We developed the technology to monitor membrane diffusivity in order to test the hypothesis positing that Ca2+ regulates open probability (P o) of cochlear hair cell mechanotransduction (MET) channels via the plasma membrane. The stereociliary membrane was more diffusive (9x) than the basolateral membrane. Elevating intracellular Ca2+ buffering or lowering extracellular Ca2+ reduced stereociliary diffusivity and increased MET P o. In contrast, prolonged depolarization increased stereociliary diffusivity and reduced MET P o. No comparable effects were noted for soma measurements. Although MET channels are located in the shorter stereocilia rows, both rows had similar baseline diffusivity and showed similar responses to Ca2+ manipulations and MET channel blocks, suggesting that diffusivity is independent of MET. Together, these data suggest that the stereociliary membrane is a component of a calcium-modulated viscoelastic-like element regulating hair cell mechanotransduction.
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