Structural Basis of Outer Hair Cell Function Abstract The last two decades witnessed a huge increase in our understanding of outer hair cell (OHC) structure and function. We know, for example, that cochlear amplification is associated with OHC fast motility, which is driven by forces generated in the plasma membrane by conformational changes in thousands of copies of the integral-membrane protein prestin. We know that these forces are harnessed and oriented parallel to the OHC's major axis by the cortical cytoskeleton, a two-dimensional anisotropic network of actin filaments cross- linked by spectrin that underlies the entire OHC lateral plasma membrane, and we know that that is possible because the plasma membrane is linked to cytoskeletal actin filaments by thousands of structural """"""""pillars"""""""". We still don't know, however, the nature of these pillars. We don't know how they work, or whether they have any role in the regulation of the prestin-generated force. We don't know either the molecular mechanisms that control OHC length and motility by regulating cytoskeletal organization and its pillar-mediated connection to the plasma membrane. The goal of this proposal is to fill these gaps in our knowledge of OHC's structure and function, a crucial step in our quest to understand cochlear function, malfunctions that involve changes in OHC shape, and protective mechanisms in response to over stimulation, by addressing the following Specific Aims: 1) Demonstrate that proteins GLUT5, Dematin and Adducin are major components of OHC pillars, 2) Determine the role of actin polymerization and depolymerization induced by profilin- and cofilin-mediated signals in the regulation of OHC length and motility, and 3) Determine the role of the RhoA/ROCK-PKC pathway in the modulation of OHC length and motility.

Public Health Relevance

Structural and/or functional damage of the organ of Corti is the major cause of sensori- neural hearing loss afflicting millions of people around the world. The exquisite architecture of the organ of Corti is uniquely adapted to support an enormous range of input sound pressures, and outer hair cells (OHCs) are unique in having their body length directly influencing important aspects of the micromechanics of this organ. For example, minute changes in OHC length can dynamically adjust the operating point of the mechano-sensory apparatus hosted in the cell stereocilia and/or the local resonance of the basilar membrane. Changes in OHC length, known as OHC motility, are thought to be essential for cochlear amplification. Despite their importance, many gaps exist in our knowledge of the structure and function of OHCs. Filling these gaps would be an important step towards a better understanding of cochlear function, malfunctions that involve changes in OHC shape, and protective mechanisms activated in response to overstimulation. We are confident that accomplishing the aims of the present proposal will provide essential information about the structure of OHCs and the role of the cytoskeleton in the regulation of OHC length and motility, as well as critical insights into the basic mechanisms of both normal human hearing and deafness.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DC010146-04
Application #
8288061
Study Section
Auditory System Study Section (AUD)
Program Officer
Freeman, Nancy
Project Start
2009-07-01
Project End
2014-06-30
Budget Start
2012-07-01
Budget End
2013-06-30
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2012
Total Cost
$370,427
Indirect Cost
$166,784
Name
House Research Institute
Department
Type
DUNS #
062076989
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90057
Kalinec, Gilda M; Park, Channy; Thein, Pru et al. (2016) Working with Auditory HEI-OC1 Cells. J Vis Exp :
Kalinec, Gilda; Thein, Pru; Park, Channy et al. (2016) HEI-OC1 cells as a model for investigating drug cytotoxicity. Hear Res 335:105-117
Park, Channy; Thein, Pru; Kalinec, Gilda et al. (2016) HEI-OC1 cells as a model for investigating prestin function. Hear Res 335:9-17
Urrutia, Raul A; Kalinec, Federico (2015) Biology and pathobiology of lipid droplets and their potential role in the protection of the organ of Corti. Hear Res 330:26-38
Park, Channy; Kalinec, Federico (2015) PKC?-Mediated Signals Regulate the Motile Responses of Cochlear Outer Hair Cells. Biophys J 108:2171-80
Kalinec, Gilda M; Thein, Pru; Parsa, Arya et al. (2014) Acetaminophen and NAPQI are toxic to auditory cells via oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress-dependent pathways. Hear Res 313:26-37
Thein, Pru; Kalinec, Gilda M; Park, Channy et al. (2014) In vitro assessment of antiretroviral drugs demonstrates potential for ototoxicity. Hear Res 310:27-35
Kitani, Rei; Park, Channy; Kalinec, Federico (2013) Microdomains shift and rotate in the lateral wall of cochlear outer hair cells. Biophys J 104:8-18
Parsa, Arya; Webster, Paul; Kalinec, Federico (2012) Deiters cells tread a narrow path--the Deiters cells-basilar membrane junction. Hear Res 290:13-20
Matsumoto, Nozomu; Kitani, Rei; Kalinec, Federico (2011) Linking LIMK1 deficiency to hyperacusis and progressive hearing loss in individuals with Williams syndrome. Commun Integr Biol 4:208-10

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