IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-024-55519-w.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

In vivo spontaneous Ca2+ activity in the pre-hearing mammalian cochlea

Author

Listed:
  • Francesca Faveri

    (University of Sheffield)

  • Federico Ceriani

    (University of Sheffield)

  • Walter Marcotti

    (University of Sheffield
    University of Sheffield)

Abstract

The refinement of neural circuits towards mature function is driven during development by patterned spontaneous calcium-dependent electrical activity. In the auditory system, this sensory-independent activity arises in the pre-hearing cochlea and regulates the survival and refinement of the auditory pathway. However, the origin and interplay of calcium signals during cochlear development is unknown in vivo. Here we show how calcium dynamics in the cochlear neuroepithelium of live pre-hearing mice shape the activity of the inner hair cells (IHCs) and their afferent synapses. Both IHCs and supporting cells (SCs) generate spontaneous calcium-dependent activity. Calcium waves from SCs synchronise the activity of nearby IHCs, which then spreads longitudinally recruiting several additional IHCs via a calcium wave-independent mechanism. This synchronised IHC activity in vivo increases the probability of afferent terminal recruitment. Moreover, the modiolar-to-pillar segregation in sound sensitivity of mature auditory nerve fibres appears to be primed at pre-hearing ages.

Suggested Citation

  • Francesca Faveri & Federico Ceriani & Walter Marcotti, 2025. "In vivo spontaneous Ca2+ activity in the pre-hearing mammalian cochlea," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-14, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-55519-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55519-w
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-55519-w
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-024-55519-w?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-55519-w. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.