Our long-term goal is to understand how voltage-gated ion channels regulate hair cell excitability, influence sensory processing in the cochlea, and contribute to normal and abnormal auditory function. Calcium-sensitive potassium (BK) channels are widely distributed in neurons, muscle, and secretory cells. In neurons and sensory receptor cells, these channels constrain Ca2+ flux and influence Ca2+-triggered neurotransmission. In the cochlea, diminished BK channel function leads to profound auditory deficits. Therefore, the molecular mechanisms underlying proper channel function are of primary interest. The chicken cochlea provides a model system where we have shown that BK channel Ca2+ affinity and kinetics vary in a graded manner along the tonotopic axis. However, the mechanisms underlying this tonotopic variation, as well as the developmental acquisition and high Ca2+ sensitivity of hair cell BK currents, are poorly understood. Ion channel regulation is accomplished by a variety of means. In this proposal, we will explore BK regulation by alternative splicing (Aim 1), co-assembly with auxiliary (3 subunits (Aim 2), interaction with synaptic proteins (Aim 3), and trafficking to specific cellular microdomains (Aim 4). Quantitative molecular techniques, immunohistology, and electrophysiology will be used to identify the molecular determinants of hair cell BK channel behavior. These experiments will provide fundamental insight into the molecular physiology of auditory hair cells and may provide a window into the generation and maintenance of functional gradients along the cochlea. Errant ion channel function underlies numerous neurological disorders. Our proposal addresses the ways in which an important potassium channel variety (BK) is regulated in auditory sensory cells. This research provides the framework for understanding how changes in ion channel behavior affect normal and abnormal auditory function, leading to therapeutic strategies that target hair cell excitability through BK channel modulation.
