Cochlear hair cells: The sound-sensing machines.
The sensory epithelium of the mammalian inner ear contains two types of mechanosensory cells: inner (IHC) and outer hair cells (OHC). They both transduce mechanical force generated by sound waves into electrical signals. In their apical end, these cells possess a set of stereocilia representing the mechanosensing organelles. IHC are responsible for detecting sounds and transmitting the acoustic information to the brain by converting graded depolarization into trains of action potentials in auditory nerve fibers. OHC are responsible for the active mechanical amplification process that leads to the fine tuning and high sensitivity of the mammalian inner ear. This active amplification is the consequence of the ability of OHC to alter their cell length in response to changes in membrane potential, and is controlled by an efferent inhibitory innervation. Medial olivocochlear efferent fibers, originating in the brainstem, synapse directly at the base of OHC and release acetylcholine. A very special type of nicotinic receptor, assembled by α9α10 subunits, participates in this synapse. Here we review recent knowledge and the role of both afferent and efferent synapse in the inner ear.
Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, "Dr. Héctor N Torres" (CONICET-UBA), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: goutman@dna.uba.ar.
Juan D
JD
Goutman
Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, "Dr. Héctor N Torres" (CONICET-UBA), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Tercera Cátedra de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
A Belén
AB
Elgoyhen
Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, "Dr. Héctor N Torres" (CONICET-UBA), Vuelta de Obligado 2490, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Tercera Cátedra de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Electronic address: mgomezcasati@fmed.uba.ar.
María Eugenia
ME
Gómez-Casati
D000818:Animals; D006198:Hair Cells, Auditory / Q000166:cytology* / Q000473:pathology; D006317:Hearing Loss, Noise-Induced / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular; D013016:Sound; D013569:Synapses
Afferent and efferent synapse; Cochlear hair cells