The Human "Cochlear Battery" - Claudin-11 Barrier and Ion Transport Proteins in the Lateral Wall of the Cochlea.

ABSTRACT: Background: The cochlea produces an electric field potential essential for hair cell transduction and hearing. This biological "battery" is situated in the lateral wall of the cochlea and contains molecular machinery that secretes and recycles K⁺ ions. Its functioning depends on junctional proteins that restrict the para-cellular escape of ions. The tight junction protein Claudin-11 has been found to be one of the major constituents of this barrier that maintains ion gradients (Gow et al., 2004; Kitajiri et al., 2004a). We are the first to elucidate the human Claudin-11 framework and the associated ion transport machinery using super-resolution fluorescence illumination microscopy (SR-SIM). Methods: Archival cochleae obtained during meningioma surgery were used for

SUBMITTER: Liu W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5554435 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature