Development and regeneration of hair cells share common functional features.

ABSTRACT: The structural phenotype of neural connections in the auditory brainstem is sculpted by spontaneous and stimulus-induced neural activities during development. However, functional and molecular mechanisms of spontaneous action potentials (SAPs) in the developing cochlea are unknown. Additionally, it is unclear how regenerating hair cells establish their neural ranking in the constellation of neurons in the brainstem. We have demonstrated that a transient Ca(2+) current produced by the Ca(v)3.1 channel is expressed early in development to initiate spontaneous Ca(2+) spikes. Ca(v)1.3 currents, typical of mature hair cells, appeared later in development. Moreover, there is a surprising disappearance of the Ca(v)3.1 current that coincides with the attenuation of the transient Ca(2+) current as

SUBMITTER: Levic S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2141916 | biostudies-literature | 2007 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature