Cochlear mechanics: no shout but a twist in the absence of prestin.
Mammalian hearing is boosted by mechanically active auditory receptor cells, the outer hair cells which amplify the actions of incoming sounds. Recent evidence indicates that the molecular motor that drives this amplification, prestin, may do more than boogie.
Santos-Sacchi
Joseph
J
Department of Surgery, Otolaryngology, Cellular and Molecular Physiology, and Neurobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, BML 244, 333 Cedar Street, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA. joseph.santos-sacchi@yale.edu
D000818:Animals; D001489:Basilar Membrane / Q000502:physiology; D006199:Hair Cells, Auditory, Inner / Q000502:physiology; D018072:Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D006309:Hearing / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; C498720:Pres protein, mouse