The α9α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) mediates efferent inhibition of hair cell function within the auditory sensory organ. Gating of the nAChRs leads to activation of calcium-dependent potassium channels to hyperpolarize the hair cell. In efferent system, main calcium providers to SK channel are nAChR and synaptic cistern, which contribution to efferent inhibition is different b...

Plant root is an organ composed of multiple cell types with different functions. This multicellular complexity limits our understanding of root biology because -omics studies performed at the level of the entire root reflect the average responses of all cells composing the organ. To overcome this difficulty and allow a more comprehensive understanding of root cell biology, an approach is needed...

The retinoblastoma protein pRb is required for cell-cycle exit of embryonic mammalian hair cells but not for their early differentiation. However, its role in postnatal hair cells is unknown. To study the function of pRb in mature animals, we created a new conditional mouse model, with the Rb gene deleted primarily in the inner ear. Progeny survive up to 6 months. During early postnatal develop...

Mechanosensory hair cells are susceptible to apoptotic death in response to exposure to ototoxic drugs, including aminoglycoside antibiotics. The c-Jun n-terminal kinase (JNK) is a stress-activated protein kinase that can promote apoptotic cell death in a variety of systems. Inhibition of the JNK signaling pathway can prevent aminoglycoside-induced death of cochlear and vestibular sensory hair ...

Mechanosensitive hair cells and supporting cells comprise the sensory epithelia of the inner ear. The paucity of both cell types has hampered molecular and cell biological studies, which often require large quantities of purified cells. Here, we report a strategy allowing the enrichment of relatively pure populations of vestibular hair cells and non-sensory cells including supporting cells. We ...

Recent evidence demonstrating the presence of two types of sensory hair cell in the ear of a teleost fish (Astronotus ocellatus, the oscar) indicates that hair cell heterogeneity may exist not only in amniotic vertebrates but also in anamniotes. Here we report that a similar heterogeneity between hair cell types may also occur in the other mechanosensory organ of the oscar, the lateral line. We...

Several studies have shown that type I hair cells present a large outward rectifying potassium current (g(K,L)) that is substantially activated at the resting potential, greatly reducing cell input resistance and voltage gain. In fact, mechanoelectrical transducer currents seem not to be large enough to depolarize type I hair cells to produce neurotransmitter release. Also, the strongly nonline...