Biomaterial Database

Cochlear outer hair cell motility. 2008

Jonathan Ashmore

Department of Physiology and UCL Ear Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom. j.ashmore@ucl.ac.uk

Normal hearing depends on sound amplification within the mammalian cochlea. The amplification, without which the auditory system is effectively deaf, can be traced to the correct functioning of a group of motile sensory hair cells, the outer hair cells of the cochlea. Acting like motor cells, outer hair cells produce forces that are driven by graded changes in membrane potential. The forces depend on the presence of a motor protein in the lateral membrane of the cells. This protein, known as prestin, is a member of a transporter superfamily SLC26. The functional and structural properties of prestin are described in this review. Whether outer hair cell motility might account for sound amplification at all frequencies is also a critical question and is reviewed here.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008564	Membrane Potentials	The voltage differences across a membrane. For cellular membranes they are computed by subtracting the voltage measured outside the membrane from the voltage measured inside the membrane. They result from differences of inside versus outside concentration of potassium, sodium, chloride, and other ions across cells' or ORGANELLES membranes. For excitable cells, the resting membrane potentials range between -30 and -100 millivolts. Physical, chemical, or electrical stimuli can make a membrane potential more negative (hyperpolarization), or less negative (depolarization).	Resting Potentials,Transmembrane Potentials,Delta Psi,Resting Membrane Potential,Transmembrane Electrical Potential Difference,Transmembrane Potential Difference,Difference, Transmembrane Potential,Differences, Transmembrane Potential,Membrane Potential,Membrane Potential, Resting,Membrane Potentials, Resting,Potential Difference, Transmembrane,Potential Differences, Transmembrane,Potential, Membrane,Potential, Resting,Potential, Transmembrane,Potentials, Membrane,Potentials, Resting,Potentials, Transmembrane,Resting Membrane Potentials,Resting Potential,Transmembrane Potential,Transmembrane Potential Differences
D009925	Organ of Corti	The spiral EPITHELIUM containing sensory AUDITORY HAIR CELLS and supporting cells in the cochlea. Organ of Corti, situated on the BASILAR MEMBRANE and overlaid by a gelatinous TECTORIAL MEMBRANE, converts sound-induced mechanical waves to neural impulses to the brain.	Basilar Papilla,Corti's Organ,Spiral Organ,Corti Organ,Cortis Organ,Organ, Corti's,Organ, Spiral,Organs, Spiral,Papilla, Basilar,Spiral Organs
D002465	Cell Movement	The movement of cells from one location to another. Distinguish from CYTOKINESIS which is the process of dividing the CYTOPLASM of a cell.	Cell Migration,Locomotion, Cell,Migration, Cell,Motility, Cell,Movement, Cell,Cell Locomotion,Cell Motility,Cell Movements,Movements, Cell
D003051	Cochlea	The part of the inner ear (LABYRINTH) that is concerned with hearing. It forms the anterior part of the labyrinth, as a snail-like structure that is situated almost horizontally anterior to the VESTIBULAR LABYRINTH.	Cochleas
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001307	Auditory Perception	The process whereby auditory stimuli are selected, organized, and interpreted by the organism.	Auditory Processing,Perception, Auditory,Processing, Auditory
D051379	Mice	The common name for the genus Mus.	Mice, House,Mus,Mus musculus,Mice, Laboratory,Mouse,Mouse, House,Mouse, Laboratory,Mouse, Swiss,Mus domesticus,Mus musculus domesticus,Swiss Mice,House Mice,House Mouse,Laboratory Mice,Laboratory Mouse,Mice, Swiss,Swiss Mouse,domesticus, Mus musculus
D018072	Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer	Sensory cells of organ of Corti. In mammals, they are usually arranged in three or four rows, and away from the core of spongy bone (the modiolus), lateral to the INNER AUDITORY HAIR CELLS and other supporting structures. Their cell bodies and STEREOCILIA increase in length from the cochlear base toward the apex and laterally across the rows, allowing differential responses to various frequencies of sound.	Auditory Hair Cell, Outer,Auditory Hair Cells, Outer,Cochlear Outer Hair Cell,Cochlear Outer Hair Cells,Hair Cell, Auditory, Outer,Hair Cells, Auditory, Outer Inner,Outer Auditory Hair Cell,Outer Auditory Hair Cells,Outer Hair Cells,Hair Cells, Outer
D018345	Mice, Knockout	Strains of mice in which certain GENES of their GENOMES have been disrupted, or "knocked-out". To produce knockouts, using RECOMBINANT DNA technology, the normal DNA sequence of the gene being studied is altered to prevent synthesis of a normal gene product. Cloned cells in which this DNA alteration is successful are then injected into mouse EMBRYOS to produce chimeric mice. The chimeric mice are then bred to yield a strain in which all the cells of the mouse contain the disrupted gene. Knockout mice are used as EXPERIMENTAL ANIMAL MODELS for diseases (DISEASE MODELS, ANIMAL) and to clarify the functions of the genes.	Knockout Mice,Mice, Knock-out,Mouse, Knockout,Knock-out Mice,Knockout Mouse,Mice, Knock out
D020409	Molecular Motor Proteins	Proteins that are involved in or cause CELL MOVEMENT such as the rotary structures (flagellar motor) or the structures whose movement is directed along cytoskeletal filaments (MYOSIN; KINESIN; and DYNEIN motor families).	Motility Proteins,Motor Proteins, Molecular,Proteins, Molecular Motor,Proteins, Motility