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Prestin is required for electromotility of the outer hair cell and for the cochlear amplifier

Author

Listed:
  • M. Charles Liberman

    (Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary
    Ear Infirmary)

  • Jiangang Gao

    (St Jude Children's Research Hospital)

  • David Z. Z. He

    (Boys Town National Research Hospital)

  • Xudong Wu

    (St Jude Children's Research Hospital
    University of Tennessee Health Science Center)

  • Shuping Jia

    (Boys Town National Research Hospital)

  • Jian Zuo

    (St Jude Children's Research Hospital)

Abstract

Hearing sensitivity in mammals is enhanced by more than 40 dB (that is, 100-fold) by mechanical amplification thought to be generated by one class of cochlear sensory cells, the outer hair cells1,2,3,4. In addition to the mechano-electrical transduction required for auditory sensation, mammalian outer hair cells also perform electromechanical transduction, whereby transmembrane voltage drives cellular length changes at audio frequencies in vitro5,6,7. This electromotility is thought to arise through voltage-gated conformational changes in a membrane protein8,9, and prestin has been proposed as this molecular motor10,11,12. Here we show that targeted deletion of prestin in mice results in loss of outer hair cell electromotility in vitro and a 40–60 dB loss of cochlear sensitivity in vivo, without disruption of mechano-electrical transduction in outer hair cells. In heterozygotes, electromotility is halved and there is a twofold (about 6 dB) increase in cochlear thresholds. These results suggest that prestin is indeed the motor protein, that there is a simple and direct coupling between electromotility and cochlear amplification, and that there is no need to invoke additional active processes to explain cochlear sensitivity in the mammalian ear.

Suggested Citation

  • M. Charles Liberman & Jiangang Gao & David Z. Z. He & Xudong Wu & Shuping Jia & Jian Zuo, 2002. "Prestin is required for electromotility of the outer hair cell and for the cochlear amplifier," Nature, Nature, vol. 419(6904), pages 300-304, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:419:y:2002:i:6904:d:10.1038_nature01059
    DOI: 10.1038/nature01059
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    Cited by:

    1. Makoto F. Kuwabara & Bassam G. Haddad & Dominik Lenz-Schwab & Julia Hartmann & Piersilvio Longo & Britt-Marie Huckschlag & Anneke Fuß & Annalisa Questino & Thomas K. Berger & Jan-Philipp Machtens & Do, 2023. "Elevator-like movements of prestin mediate outer hair cell electromotility," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, December.
    2. Haon Futamata & Masahiro Fukuda & Rie Umeda & Keitaro Yamashita & Atsuhiro Tomita & Satoe Takahashi & Takafumi Shikakura & Shigehiko Hayashi & Tsukasa Kusakizako & Tomohiro Nishizawa & Kazuaki Homma &, 2022. "Cryo-EM structures of thermostabilized prestin provide mechanistic insights underlying outer hair cell electromotility," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-14, December.
    3. Adam Sheppard & Massimo Ralli & Antonio Gilardi & Richard Salvi, 2020. "Occupational Noise: Auditory and Non-Auditory Consequences," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-15, December.

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