scholarly journals How to build a fast and highly sensitive sound detector that remains robust to temperature shifts

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minghui Chen ◽  
Henrique von Gersdorff
Keyword(s):  
Hair Cell ◽  
Hair Cells ◽  
Auditory Information ◽  
Temperature Changes ◽  
Temporal Precision ◽  
Auditory Nerves ◽  
Afferent Fibers ◽  
Vesicle Exocytosis

AbstractFrogs must have sharp hearing abilities during the warm summer months to successfully find mating partners. This study aims to understand how frog hair cell ribbon-type synapses preserve both sensitivity and temporal precision during temperature changes. We performedin vitropatch-clamp recordings of hair cells and their afferent fibers in bullfrog amphibian papillae under room (23-25°C) and high (30-33°C) temperature. Afferent fibers exhibited a wide heterogeneity in membrane input resistance (Rin) from 100 MΩ to 1000 MΩ, which may contribute to variations in spike threshold and firing frequency. At higher temperatures, most fibers increased their frequency of action potential firing due to an increase in spontaneous EPSC frequencies. Hair cell resting membrane potential (Vrest) remained surprisingly stable during temperature increases, although both inward Ca2+current and outward K+current increased in amplitude. This increase in Ca2+current may explain the higher spontaneous EPSC frequencies. The larger “leak currents” at Vrestlowered Rinand produced higher electrical resonant frequencies. However, lower Rinshould decrease sensitivity to sound detection via smaller receptor potentials. Using membrane capacitance measurements, we suggest that hair cells can partially compensate for this reduced sensitivity by increasing exocytosis efficiency and the size of the readily releasable pool of synaptic vesicles. Furthermore, paired recordings of hair cells and their afferent fibers showed that synaptic delays become shorter and multivesicular release becomes more synchronous at higher temperatures, which should improve temporal precision. Altogether, our results explain many previousin vivoobservations on the temperature dependence of spikes in auditory nerves.Significance StatementThe vertebrate inner ear detects and transmits auditory information over a broad dynamic range of sound frequency and intensity. It achieves remarkable sensitivity to soft sounds and precise frequency selectivity. How does the ear of cold-blooded vertebrates maintain its performance level as temperature changes? More specifically, how does the hair cell to afferent fiber synapse in bullfrog amphibian papilla adjust to a wide range of physiological temperatures without losing its sensitivity and temporal fidelity to sound signals? This study usesin vitroexperiments to reveal the biophysical mechanisms that explain many observations made fromin vivoauditory nerve fiber recordings. We find that higher temperature facilitates vesicle exocytosis and electrical tuning to higher sound frequencies, which benefits sensitivity and selectivity.

scholarly journals Calcium Modulates the Frequency and Amplitude of Spontaneous Otoacoustic Emissions in the Bobtail Skink

2004 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 2685-2693 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey A. Manley ◽  
Ulrike Sienknecht ◽  
Christine Köppl
Keyword(s):  
Hair Cell ◽  
Hair Cells ◽  
Otoacoustic Emissions ◽  
Calcium Concentration ◽  
Chelating Agent ◽  
Lizard Species ◽  
Spontaneous Otoacoustic Emissions ◽  
Active Processes

Active processes in the inner ear of lizards can be monitored using spontaneous otoacoustic emissions (SOAE) measured outside the eardrum. In the Australian bobtail lizard, SOAE are generated by an active motility process in the hair-cell bundle. This mechanism has been shown to be sensitive to the calcium-chelating agent 1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane- N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid and is presumed to be related to the calcium-sensitive transduction-channel motor implicated in other nonmammalian hair cell systems. In studies of frog saccular and turtle auditory papillar hair cells in vitro, the frequency and amplitude of bundle oscillations depend on the concentration of calcium in the bathing solutions. In the present study, the calcium concentration in the endolymph was changed in vivo in the Australian bobtail lizard Tiliqua rugosa, and SOAE were monitored. Glass pipettes with large tips and containing different calcium concentrations in their fluids were introduced into scala media, and their contents were allowed to passively flow into the endolymph. Low calcium concentrations resulted in a downward shift in the frequency of SOAE spectral peaks and generally an increase in their amplitudes. Calcium concentrations >2 mM resulted in increases in frequency of SOAE peaks and generally a loss in amplitude. These frequency shifts were consistent with in vitro data on the frequencies and amplitudes of spontaneous oscillation of hair cell bundles and thus also implicate calcium ions in the generation of active motility in nonmammalian hair cells. The data also suggest that in this lizard species, the ionic calcium concentration in the cochlear endolymph is ≥1 mM.

Hair cell development in vivo and in vitro: Analysis by using a monoclonal antibody specific to hair cells in the chick inner ear

2002 ◽  
Vol 445 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-198
Author(s):  
Kenji Kondo ◽  
Hiroshi Sagara ◽  
Kazushige Hirosawa ◽  
Kimitaka Kaga ◽  
Satsuki Matsushima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monoclonal Antibody ◽  
Hair Cell ◽  
Inner Ear ◽  
Hair Cells ◽  
Cell Development ◽  
Vitro Analysis ◽  
In Vitro Analysis

scholarly journals SoxC transcription factors are essential for the development of the inner ear

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (45) ◽  
pp. 14066-14071 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ksenia Gnedeva ◽  
A. J. Hudspeth
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factors ◽  
Hair Cell ◽  
Inner Ear ◽  
Hair Cells ◽  
Supporting Cell ◽  
Sensory Epithelia ◽  
Enhanced Expression ◽  
Mechanosensory Receptors

Hair cells, the mechanosensory receptors of the inner ear, underlie the senses of hearing and balance. Adult mammals cannot adequately replenish lost hair cells, whose loss often results in deafness or balance disorders. To determine the molecular basis of this deficiency, we investigated the development of a murine vestibular organ, the utricle. Here we show that two members of the SoxC family of transcription factors, Sox4 and Sox11, are down-regulated after the epoch of hair cell development. Conditional ablation of SoxC genes in vivo results in stunted sensory organs of the inner ear and loss of hair cells. Enhanced expression of SoxC genes in vitro conversely restores supporting cell proliferation and the production of new hair cells in adult sensory epithelia. These results imply that SoxC genes govern hair cell production and thus advance these genes as targets for the restoration of hearing and balance.

Intracellular pH-temperature interactions of hepatocytes from American eels

1983 ◽  
Vol 245 (1) ◽  
pp. R32-R37
Author(s):  
P. J. Walsh ◽  
T. W. Moon
Keyword(s):  
Intracellular Ph ◽  
Acclimation Temperature ◽  
C Cells ◽  
Medium Ph ◽  
American Eel ◽  
Temperature Changes ◽  
American Eels ◽  
Temperature Interactions

The effects of acclimation temperature and acute temperature changes on the intracellular pH (pHi) of hepatocytes isolated from the American eel, Anguilla rostrata, were studied by the measurement of the distribution ratio of dimethyloxizolidinedione (DMO). Varying the concentration of DMO (10(-7) to 10(-4) M) did not affect estimates of pHi, indicating that DMO acts as an ideal pHi probe in eel hepatocytes. In vitro studies yielded values of liver cell pHi identical to those previously measured in vivo (in vitro pHi = 7.556 +/- 0.010; in vivo pHi = 7.570 +/- 0.049 at 20 degrees C); hepatocyte pHi varied inversely with acclimation temperature (5-20 degrees C) in a manner consistent with alphastat regulation (delta pH/delta T = -0.0182 +/- 0.021). During acute temperature increases (5-20 degrees C) and decreases (20-5 degrees C) hepatocytes regulated pHi to the appropriate (acclimated) value within 30-45 min posttransfer under conditions of constant medium pH (pHe). The effects of medium pH were also studied, and although patterns of pHi regulation differed between 5 and 20 degrees C cells, a pHi difference consistent with alphastat regulation was maintained between 5 and 20 degrees C cells over the pHe range 7.8-8.3.

scholarly journals Resolution of subcomponents of synaptic release from post-synaptic currents in rat hair-cell/auditory-nerve fiber synapses

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric D. Young ◽  
Jingjing Sherry Wu ◽  
Mamiko Niwa ◽  
Elisabeth Glowatzki
Keyword(s):  
Hair Cell ◽  
Nerve Fiber ◽  
Hair Cells ◽  
Auditory Nerve ◽  
Neurotransmitter Release ◽  
Auditory Nerve Fiber ◽  
Vesicle Release ◽  
Synaptic Currents ◽  
Synaptic Release

AbstractThe synapse between inner hair cells and auditory nerve fiber dendrites shows large EPSCs, which are either monophasic or multiphasic. Multiquantal or uniquantal flickering release have been proposed to underlie the unusual multiphasic waveforms. Here the nature of multiphasic waveforms is analyzed using EPSCs recorded in vitro in rat afferent dendrites. Spontaneous EPSCs were deconvolved into a sum of presumed release events with monophasic EPSC waveforms. Results include: first, the charge of EPSCs is about the same for multiphasic versus monophasic EPSCs. Second, EPSC amplitudes decline with the number of release events per EPSC. Third, there is no evidence of a mini-EPSC. Most results can be accounted for by versions of either uniquantal or multiquantal release. However, serial neurotransmitter release in multiphasic EPSCs shows properties that are not fully explained by either model, especially that the amplitudes of individual release events is established at the beginning of a multiphasic EPSC, constraining possible models of vesicle release.

scholarly journals ERBB 2 signaling drives supporting cell proliferation in vitro and apparent supernumerary hair cell formation in vivo in the neonatal mouse cochlea

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (10) ◽  
pp. 3299-3316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingyuan Zhang ◽  
Quan Wang ◽  
Dunia Abdul‐Aziz ◽  
Jonelle Mattiacio ◽  
Albert S. B. Edge ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Proliferation ◽  
Hair Cell ◽  
Cell Formation ◽  
Supporting Cell ◽  
Neonatal Mouse ◽  
Proliferation In Vitro

Duration of NMDA-Dependent Synaptic Potentiation in Piriform Cortex In Vivo Is Increased After Epileptiform Bursting

1998 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 1623-1629 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Kapur ◽  
L. B. Haberly
Keyword(s):  
Seizure Activity ◽  
Piriform Cortex ◽  
Long Term Potentiation ◽  
Excitatory Postsynaptic Potential ◽  
Synaptic Potentiation ◽  
Lateral Olfactory Tract ◽  
Afferent Fibers ◽  
Stimulation Of

Kapur, A. and L. B. Haberly. Duration of NMDA-dependent synaptic potentiation in piriform cortex in vivo is increased after epileptiform bursting. J. Neurophysiol. 80: 1623–1629, 1998. Stimulation of afferent fibers with current pulse trains has been reported to induce long-term potentiation (LTP) in piriform cortex in vitro but not in vivo. LTP has been observed in vivo only when trains are paired with behavioral reinforcement and as a consequence of kindled epileptogenesis. This study was undertaken in the urethan-anesthetized rat to determine if the reported failures to observe pulse-train evoked LTP in vivo may be related to a lesser persistence rather than lack of occurrence, if disinhibition might facilitate induction, and to examine the nature of the relationship between seizure activity and LTP. Stimulation of afferent fibers in the lateral olfactory tract with θ-burst trains under control conditions potentiated the monosynaptic field excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) by approximately the same extent (20.3 ± 2%; n = 12) as reported for the slice. However, in contrast to the slice, potentiation in vivo decayed to a low level within 1–2 h after induction (70% loss in 1.5 h, on average). The N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-receptor antagonists d-APV and MK-801 blocked the induction of this decremental potentiation. Pharmacological reduction of γ-aminobutyric acid–mediated inhibition at the recording site did not increase the duration of potentiation. In contrast, θ-burst stimulation applied after recovery from a period of epileptiform bursting induced stable NMDA-dependent potentiation. Mean increase in the population EPSP was approximately the same as under control conditions (21 ± 2%; n = 6), but in five of six experiments there was little or no decay in potentiation for the duration of the monitoring period (≤6 h). It is concluded that seizure activity has an enabling action on the induction of persistent synaptic potentiation by stimulus trains that bypasses the need for behavioral reinforcement.

scholarly journals A Critical E-box in Barhl1 3′ Enhancer Is Essential for Auditory Hair Cell Differentiation

Cells ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Hou ◽  
Hui Jiang ◽  
Md. Rezaul Karim ◽  
Chao Zhong ◽  
Zhouwen Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cell Differentiation ◽  
Hair Cell ◽  
Hair Cells ◽  
Embryonic Stem ◽  
Cell Development ◽  
Homologous Gene ◽  
Auditory Hair Cells ◽  
E Box ◽  
Hair Cell Differentiation

Barhl1, a mouse homologous gene of Drosophila BarH class homeobox genes, is highly expressed within the inner ear and crucial for the long-term maintenance of auditory hair cells that mediate hearing and balance, yet little is known about the molecular events underlying Barhl1 regulation and function in hair cells. In this study, through data mining and in vitro report assay, we firstly identified Barhl1 as a direct target gene of Atoh1 and one E-box (E3) in Barhl1 3’ enhancer is crucial for Atoh1-mediated Barhl1 activation. Then we generated a mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) line carrying disruptions on this E3 site E-box (CAGCTG) using CRISPR/Cas9 technology and this E3 mutated mESC line is further subjected to an efficient stepwise hair cell differentiation strategy in vitro. Disruptions on this E3 site caused dramatic loss of Barhl1 expression and significantly reduced the number of induced hair cell-like cells, while no affections on the differentiation toward early primitive ectoderm-like cells and otic progenitors. Finally, through RNA-seq profiling and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis, we found that this E3 box was indispensable for Barhl1 expression to maintain hair cell development and normal functions. We also compared the transcriptional profiles of induced cells from CDS mutated and E3 mutated mESCs, respectively, and got very consistent results except the Barhl1 transcript itself. These observations indicated that Atoh1-mediated Barhl1 expression could have important roles during auditory hair cell development. In brief, our findings delineate the detail molecular mechanism of Barhl1 expression regulation in auditory hair cell differentiation.

Acute and neonatal capsaicin treatment inhibit jejunal amino acid absorption through a Na+-dependent mechanism

1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (4) ◽  
pp. G815-G821 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. A. Barada ◽  
S. S. Dika ◽  
S. F. Atweh ◽  
N. E. Saade ◽  
C. F. Nassar
Keyword(s):  
Amino Acid ◽  
Intestinal Epithelial ◽  
Primary Afferent ◽  
Acid Absorption ◽  
Amino Acid Absorption ◽  
Afferent Fibers ◽  
Dependent Component ◽  
Primary Afferent Fibers

It has recently been shown that capsaicin inhibits alanine absorption in rat jejunum via mechanisms that involve intestinal capsaicin-sensitive primary afferent (CSPA) fibers. This study provides further evidence that the effect of capsaicin is neurally mediated and demonstrates that CSPA fibers regulate Na+-dependent amino acid absorption. In vivo, basal alanine absorption in rats neonatally treated with capsaicin was reduced by 35% below control. Furthermore, intraluminal perfusion of 400 microM capsaicin reduced jejunal alanine absorption by 31% in sham rats but had no significant effect in rats neonatally treated with capsaicin. In vitro, capsaicin significantly reduced uptake of alanine and proline by jejunal strips but had no effect on uptake of lysine. Tetrodotoxin (0.2 microM) partially blocked the effects of capsaicin but did not itself affect alanine absorption. Capsaicin reduced unidirectional mucosal-to-serosal alanine (1 mM) influx by 33%, an effect that becomes significant after 5 min of preincubation with capsaicin. Neonatal capsaicin treatment reduced basal alanine influx in jejunal strips by 37%; however, preincubation of these strips with capsaicin had no significant effect. Kinetic analysis of alanine steady-state uptake and influx by jejunal strips incubated with capsaicin revealed that capsaicin reduced the Na+-dependent component of alanine influx into intestinal epithelial cells. Long-term sensory denervation by capsaicin also decreased the Na+-dependent component of alanine absorption. These data suggest that intestinal capsaicin-sensitive primary afferent fibers regulate Na+-dependent amino acid absorption.

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