The plasma membrane of the cell plays an essential role in the maintenance of cellular homeostasis. It is also the first site in transferring a mechanical force into the hair cell. While strong evidence has implicated membrane disruption as an early event of hair cell degeneration in noise-induced cochlear trauma, it is unclear how such damage contributes to the pathogenesis of acute hair cell death. Our long-term goal is to better understand the biological and molecular mechanisms of noise-induced hearing loss. The objective of this research is to determine the role of membrane disruption in the generation of acute hair cell death. The central hypothesis for the proposed research is that membrane dysfunction is involved in the regulation of acute hair cell apoptosis. We plan to test our central hypothesis by examining two essential functions of the plasma membrane, membrane barrier and membrane adhesion. Specifically, the following three aims will be addressed: (1) to determine the role of membrane permeabilization in the regulation of acute hair cell death and evaluate the effect of a membrane repair strategy on the hair cell's response to mechanical stress, (2) to determine the effect of the disruption of membrane adhesion on the cytoskeletal structure of apoptotic hair cells, and (3) to identify the apoptosis-related molecules that are involved in the generation of acute cochlear damage. Our contribution here is expected to increase understanding of the regulatory mechanism of acute hair cell apoptosis. This contribution is significant because the new insights into acute membrane dysfunction fill the knowledge gap between direct mechanical stress and subsequent signal transduction leading to cell death. Importantly, controlling the membrane events of apoptosis may lead to the development of novel pharmacological strategies for suppression of acute hair cell death.

Public Health Relevance

Noise-induced hearing loss is the most common cause of acquired hearing loss among those under the age of 40 and ranks among the top 10 disabilities among military personnel. The proposed study will investigate the role of plasma membrane dysfunction in the regulation of acute hair cell death induced by exposure to intense noise. From a clinical perspective, better understanding of the biological mechanisms of noise-induced sensory cell death can greatly enhance our ability to explore novel therapeutic strategies for reduction of noise-induced hearing loss.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01DC010154-01A2
Application #
7993290
Study Section
Auditory System Study Section (AUD)
Program Officer
Donahue, Amy
Project Start
2010-06-15
Project End
2015-05-31
Budget Start
2010-06-15
Budget End
2011-05-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2010
Total Cost
$388,645
Indirect Cost
Name
State University of New York at Buffalo
Department
Other Health Professions
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
038633251
City
Buffalo
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
14260
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Dong, Youyi; Zhang, Celia; Frye, Mitchell et al. (2018) Differential fates of tissue macrophages in the cochlea during postnatal development. Hear Res 365:110-126
Frye, Mitchell D; Zhang, Celia; Hu, Bo Hua (2018) Lower level noise exposure that produces only TTS modulates the immune homeostasis of cochlear macrophages. J Neuroimmunol 323:152-166
Sheppard, Adam M; Chen, Guang-Di; Manohar, Senthilvelan et al. (2017) Prolonged low-level noise-induced plasticity in the peripheral and central auditory system of rats. Neuroscience 359:159-171
Zhang, Celia; Sun, Wei; Li, Ji et al. (2017) Loss of sestrin 2 potentiates the early onset of age-related sensory cell degeneration in the cochlea. Neuroscience 361:179-191
Frye, Mitchell D; Yang, Weiping; Zhang, Celia et al. (2017) Dynamic activation of basilar membrane macrophages in response to chronic sensory cell degeneration in aging mouse cochleae. Hear Res 344:125-134
Xu, Yang; Yang, Wei Ping; Hu, Bo Hua et al. (2017) Involvement of p53 and Bcl-2 in sensory cell degeneration in aging rat cochleae. Acta Otolaryngol 137:572-580
Yang, Shuzhi; Cai, Qunfeng; Vethanayagam, R Robert et al. (2016) Immune defense is the primary function associated with the differentially expressed genes in the cochlea following acoustic trauma. Hear Res 333:283-294
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Yang, W; Vethanayagam, R R; Dong, Y et al. (2015) Activation of the antigen presentation function of mononuclear phagocyte populations associated with the basilar membrane of the cochlea after acoustic overstimulation. Neuroscience 303:1-15

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