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The Journal of Neuroscience, January 31, 2007, 27(5):1006-1014; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5452-06.2007

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Cellular/Molecular
Mechanoelectric Transduction of Adult Inner Hair Cells

Shuping Jia,¹ Peter Dallos,² and David Z. Z. He¹

¹Hair Cell Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University School of Medicine, Omaha, Nebraska 68178, and ²Auditory Physiology Laboratory, The Hugh Knowles Center, Departments of Neurobiology and Physiology, and Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208

Correspondence should be addressed to David Z. Z. He, Hair Cell Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University School of Medicine, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178. Email: hed{at}creighton.edu

Inner hair cells (IHCs) are the true sensory receptors in the cochlea; they transmit auditory information to the brain. IHCs respond to basilar membrane (BM) vibration by producing a transducer current through mechanotransducer (MET) channels located at the tip of their stereocilia when these are deflected. The IHC MET current has not been measured from adult animals. We simultaneously recorded IHC transducer currents and BM motion in a gerbil hemicochlea to examine relationships between these two variables and their variation along the cochlear length. Results show that although maximum transducer currents of IHCs are uniform along the cochlea, their operating range is graded and is narrower in the base. The MET current displays adaptation, which along with response magnitude depends on extracellular calcium concentration. The rate of adaptation is invariant along the cochlear length. We introduce a new method of measuring adaptation using sinusoidal stimuli. There is a phase lead of IHC transducer currents relative to sinusoidal BM displacement, reflecting viscoelastic coupling of their cilia and their adaptation process.

Key words: mechanotransduction; inner hair cells; stereocilia; adaptation; gerbils; cochlear mechanics

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Received July 5, 2006; revised Dec. 18, 2006; accepted Dec. 19, 2006.

Correspondence should be addressed to David Z. Z. He, Hair Cell Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University School of Medicine, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178. Email: hed{at}creighton.edu

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