Mammalian Auditory Hair Cell Bundle Stiffness Affects Frequency Tuning by Increasing Coupling along the Length of the Cochlea.

ABSTRACT: The stereociliary bundles of cochlear hair cells convert mechanical vibrations into the electrical signals required for auditory sensation. While the stiffness of the bundles strongly influences mechanotransduction, its influence on the vibratory response of the cochlear partition is unclear. To assess this, we measured cochlear vibrations in mutant mice with reduced bundle stiffness or with a tectorial membrane (TM) that is detached from the sensory epithelium. We found that reducing bundle stiffness decreased the high-frequency extent and sharpened the tuning of vibratory responses obtained postmortem. Detaching the TM further reduced the high-frequency extent of the vibrations but also lowered the partition's resonant frequency. Together, these results demonstrate that the bundle's stif

SUBMITTER: Dewey JB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6309882 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature