title: Anion control of voltage sensing by the motor protein prestin in outer hair cells.
abstract: The outer hair cell from Corti's organ possesses voltage-dependent intramembranous molecular motors evolved from the SLC26 anion transporter family. The motor, identified as prestin (SLC26a5), is responsible for electromotility of outer hair cells and mammalian cochlear amplification, a process that heightens our auditory responsiveness. Here, we describe experiments designed to evaluate the effects of anions on the motor's voltage-sensor charge movement, focusing on prestin's voltage-dependent Boltzmann characteristics. We find that the nature of the anion, including species, valence, and structure, regulates characteristics of the charge movement, signifying that anions play a more complicated role than simple voltage sensing in cochlear amplification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery (Otolaryngology),Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06510, USA.
authors.forename: Volodymyr
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rybalchenko
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Santos-Sacchi
mesh_terms: D000476:Alkanesulfonates / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D002713:Chlorine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D018072:Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D042541:Intracellular Space / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000476:Alkanesulfonates; D020409:Molecular Motor Proteins; C498722:Pres protein, Cavia porcellus; D011506:Proteins; D002713:Chlorine