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De-la-Torre P, Martínez-García C, Gratias P, Mun M, Santana P, Akyuz N, González W, Indzhykulian AA, Ramírez D. Identification of Druggable Binding Sites and Small Molecules as Modulators of TMC1. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.05.583611. [PMID: 38826329 PMCID: PMC11142246 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.05.583611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Our ability to hear and maintain balance relies on the proper functioning of inner ear sensory hair cells, which translate mechanical stimuli into electrical signals via mechano-electrical transducer (MET) channels, composed of TMC1/2 proteins. However, the therapeutic use of ototoxic drugs, such as aminoglycosides and cisplatin, which can enter hair cells through MET channels, often leads to profound auditory and vestibular dysfunction. Despite extensive research on otoprotective compounds targeting MET channels, our understanding of how small molecule modulators interact with these channels remains limited, hampering the discovery of novel compounds. Here, we propose a structure-based screening approach, integrating 3D-pharmacophore modeling, molecular simulations, and experimental validation. Our pipeline successfully identified several novel compounds and FDA-approved drugs that reduced dye uptake in cultured cochlear explants, indicating MET modulation activity. Molecular docking and free-energy estimations for binding allowed us to identify three potential drug binding sites within the channel pore, phospholipids, and key amino acids involved in modulator interactions. We also identified shared ligand-binding features between TMC and structurally related TMEM16 protein families, providing novel insights into their distinct inhibition, while potentially guiding the rational design of MET-channel-specific modulators. Our pipeline offers a broad application to discover small molecule modulators for a wide spectrum of mechanosensitive ion channels.
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Li N, Liu S, Zhao D, Du H, Xi Y, Wei X, Liu Q, Müller U, Lu Q, Xiong W, Xu Z. Disruption of Cdh23 exon 68 splicing leads to progressive hearing loss in mice by affecting tip-link stability. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2309656121. [PMID: 38408254 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2309656121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Inner ear hair cells are characterized by the F-actin-based stereocilia that are arranged into a staircase-like pattern on the apical surface of each hair cell. The tips of shorter-row stereocilia are connected with the shafts of their neighboring taller-row stereocilia through extracellular links named tip links, which gate mechano-electrical transduction (MET) channels in hair cells. Cadherin 23 (CDH23) forms the upper part of tip links, and its cytoplasmic tail is inserted into the so-called upper tip-link density (UTLD) that contains other proteins such as harmonin. The Cdh23 gene is composed of 69 exons, and we show here that exon 68 is subjected to hair cell-specific alternative splicing. Tip-link formation is not affected in genetically modified mutant mice lacking Cdh23 exon 68. Instead, the stability of tip links is compromised in the mutants, which also suffer from progressive and noise-induced hearing loss. Moreover, we show that the cytoplasmic tail of CDH23(+68) but not CDH23(-68) cooperates with harmonin in phase separation-mediated condensate formation. In conclusion, our work provides evidence that inclusion of Cdh23 exon 68 is critical for the stability of tip links through regulating condensate formation of UTLD components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nana Li
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology and Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
| | - Shuang Liu
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Dange Zhao
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Haibo Du
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology and Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
| | - Yuehui Xi
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology and Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
| | - Xiaoxi Wei
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Qingling Liu
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Ulrich Müller
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205
| | - Qing Lu
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200030, China
| | - Wei Xiong
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Zhigang Xu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology and Key Laboratory for Experimental Teratology of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong 266237, China
- Shandong Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong 250014, China
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Arora N, Hazra JP, Roy S, Bhati GK, Gupta S, Yogendran KP, Chaudhuri A, Sagar A, Rakshit S. Emergence of slip-ideal-slip behavior in tip-links serve as force filters of sound in hearing. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1595. [PMID: 38383683 PMCID: PMC10881517 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45423-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Tip-links in the inner ear convey force from sound and trigger mechanotransduction. Here, we present evidence that tip-links (collectively as heterotetrameric complexes of cadherins) function as force filters during mechanotransduction. Our force-clamp experiments reveal that the tip-link complexes show slip-ideal-slip bond dynamics. At low forces, the lifetime of the tip-link complex drops monotonically, indicating slip-bond dynamics. The ideal bond, rare in nature, is seen in an intermediate force regime where the survival of the complex remains constant over a wide range. At large forces, tip-links follow a slip bond and dissociate entirely to cut-off force transmission. In contrast, the individual tip-links (heterodimers) display slip-catch-slip bonds to the applied forces. While with a phenotypic mutant, we showed the importance of the slip-catch-slip bonds in uninterrupted hearing, our coarse-grained Langevin dynamics simulations demonstrated that the slip-ideal-slip bonds emerge as a collective feature from the slip-catch-slip bonds of individual tip-links.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Arora
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Jagadish P Hazra
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Sandip Roy
- Department of Physical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Gaurav K Bhati
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Sarika Gupta
- National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi, India
| | - K P Yogendran
- Department of Physical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Punjab, India
| | - Abhishek Chaudhuri
- Department of Physical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Punjab, India.
| | - Amin Sagar
- Centre de Biologie Structurale, INSERM, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
| | - Sabyasachi Rakshit
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Punjab, India.
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Clark S, Mitra J, Elferich J, Goehring A, Ge J, Ha T, Gouaux E. Single molecule studies of the native hair cell mechanosensory transduction complex. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.11.571162. [PMID: 38168376 PMCID: PMC10760052 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.11.571162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Hearing and balance rely on the conversion of a mechanical stimulus into an electrical signal, a process known as mechanosensory transduction (MT). In vertebrates, this process is accomplished by an MT complex that is located in hair cells of the inner ear. While the past three decades of research have identified many subunits that are important for MT and revealed interactions between these subunits, the composition and organization of a functional complex remains unknown. The major challenge associated with studying the MT complex is its extremely low abundance in hair cells; current estimates of MT complex quantity range from 3-60 attomoles per cochlea or utricle, well below the detection limit of most biochemical assays that are used to characterize macromolecular complexes. Here we describe the optimization of two single molecule assays, single molecule pull-down (SiMPull) and single molecule array (SiMoA), to study the composition and quantity of native mouse MT complexes. We demonstrate that these assays are capable of detecting and quantifying low attomoles of the native MT subunits protocadherin-15 (PCDH15) and lipoma HMGIC fusion partner-like protein 5 (LHFPL5). Our results illuminate the stoichiometry of PCDH15- and LHFPL5-containing complexes and establish SiMPull and SiMoA as productive methods for probing the abundance, composition, and arrangement of subunits in the native MT complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Clark
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
- Present address: Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Jaba Mitra
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL 61801, USA
- Present address: Pacific Biosciences, Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Johannes Elferich
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
- Present address: UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA
| | - April Goehring
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
| | - Jingpeng Ge
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
- Present address: School of Life Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Pudong, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Taekjip Ha
- Department of Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21215, USA
- Present address: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA
- Present address: Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Eric Gouaux
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA
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Vartanian V, Krey JF, Chatterjee P, Curtis A, Six M, Rice SPM, Jones SM, Sampath H, Allen CN, Ryals RC, Lloyd RS, Barr‐Gillespie PG. Spontaneous allelic variant in deafness-blindness gene Ush1g resulting in an expanded phenotype. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2023; 22:e12849. [PMID: 37328946 PMCID: PMC10393423 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Relationships between novel phenotypic behaviors and specific genetic alterations are often discovered using target-specific, directed mutagenesis or phenotypic selection following chemical mutagenesis. An alternative approach is to exploit deficiencies in DNA repair pathways that maintain genetic integrity in response to spontaneously induced damage. Mice deficient in the DNA glycosylase NEIL1 show elevated spontaneous mutations, which arise from translesion DNA synthesis past oxidatively induced base damage. Several litters of Neil1 knockout mice included animals that were distinguished by their backwards-walking behavior in open-field environments, while maintaining frantic forward movements in their home cage environment. Other phenotypic manifestations included swim test failures, head tilting and circling. Mapping of the mutation that conferred these behaviors showed the introduction of a stop codon at amino acid 4 of the Ush1g gene. Ush1gbw/bw null mice displayed auditory and vestibular defects that are commonly seen with mutations affecting inner-ear hair-cell function, including a complete lack of auditory brainstem responses and vestibular-evoked potentials. As in other Usher syndrome type I mutant mouse lines, hair cell phenotypes included disorganized and split hair bundles, as well as altered distribution of proteins for stereocilia that localize to the tips of row 1 or row 2. Disruption to the bundle and kinocilium displacement suggested that USH1G is essential for forming the hair cell's kinocilial links. Consistent with other Usher type 1 models, Ush1gbw/bw mice had no substantial retinal degeneration compared with Ush1gbw /+ controls. In contrast to previously described Ush1g alleles, this new allele provides the first knockout model for this gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Vartanian
- Oregon Institute of Occupational Health SciencesOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Jocelyn F. Krey
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum InstituteOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Paroma Chatterjee
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum InstituteOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Allison Curtis
- Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye InstituteOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Makayla Six
- Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye InstituteOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Sean P. M. Rice
- Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences and School of Public HealthOregon Health & Science University‐Portland State UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Sherri M. Jones
- Department of Special Education and Communication DisordersUniversity of Nebraska‐LincolnLincolnNebraskaUSA
| | - Harini Sampath
- Department of Nutritional Sciences and New Jersey Institute for Food, Nutrition, and HealthRutgers UniversityNew BrunswickNew JerseyUSA
| | - Charles N. Allen
- Oregon Institute of Occupational Health Sciences and Department of Behavioral NeuroscienceOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Renee C. Ryals
- Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye InstituteOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - R. Stephen Lloyd
- Oregon Institute of Occupational Health SciencesOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
- Department of Molecular and Medical GeneticsOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
| | - Peter G. Barr‐Gillespie
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum InstituteOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandOregonUSA
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6
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Kaur V, Ghosh SK, Bhatia T, Rakshit S. Redefining the Structure of Tip Links in Hair Cells. Biochemistry 2023. [PMID: 37399091 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
Tip links are seen under microscopes as double-helical tetrameric complexes of long nonclassical cadherins, cadherin-23 and protocadherin-15. The twisted filamentous structure enables tip links to regulate mechanotransduction in hearing and balance. While the molecular details of the double-helical protocadherin-15 cis dimers have been deciphered, a similar conformation of cadherin-23 is still elusive. In a search of cadherin-23 cis dimers, we performed photoinduced cross-linking of unmodified proteins in solution and on lipid membranes and observed no trace of cadherin-23 cis dimers. Reportedly, tip links are dynamic connections, assembling and disassembling in seconds. Using lipid vesicles, we measured significantly slower aggregations between cis dimers of tip link cadherins than via dimer-monomer interactions, indicating that the trans interactions between two cis dimers may possess steric restraints and defer reassociations. Reconnections of tip links are thus kinetically most desired between protocadherin-15 cis dimers and cadherin-23 monomers. Here we propose that the helical geometry of tip links is induced by protocadherin-15 cis dimers, while cadherin-23 remains single before tip linking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veerpal Kaur
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India
| | - Sanat K Ghosh
- Department of Physical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India
| | - Tripta Bhatia
- Department of Physical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India
| | - Sabyasachi Rakshit
- Department of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, Mohali 140306, Punjab, India
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7
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Nishiguchi S, Kasai RS, Uchihashi T. Antiparallel dimer structure of CELSR cadherin in solution revealed by high-speed atomic force microscopy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2302047120. [PMID: 37094146 PMCID: PMC10160967 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2302047120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Cadherin EGF LAG seven-pass G-type receptors (CELSR) cadherins, members of the cadherin superfamily, and adhesion G-protein-coupled receptors, play a vital role in cell-cell adhesion. The mutual binding of the extracellular domains (ectodomains) of CELSR cadherins between cells is crucial for tissue formation, including the establishment of planar cell polarity, which directs the proper patterning of cells. CELSR cadherins possess nine cadherin ectodomains (EC1-EC9) and noncadherin ectodomains. However, the structural and functional mechanisms of the binding mode of CELSR cadherins have not been determined. In this study, we investigated the binding mode of CELSR cadherins using single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, high-speed atomic force microscopy (HS-AFM), and bead aggregation assay. The fluorescence microscopy analysis results indicated that the trans-dimer of the CELSR cadherin constitutes the essential adhesive unit between cells. HS-AFM analysis and bead aggregation assay results demonstrated that EC1-EC8 entirely overlap and twist to form antiparallel dimer conformations and that the binding of EC1-EC4 is sufficient to sustain bead aggregation. The interaction mechanism of CELSR cadherin may elucidate the variation of the binding mechanism within the cadherin superfamily and physiological role of CELSR cadherins in relation to planar cell polarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigetaka Nishiguchi
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki444-8787, Japan
| | - Rinshi S. Kasai
- Institute for Life and Medical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto606-8507, Japan
- Institute for Glyco-core Research, Gifu University, Gifu501-1193, Japan
| | - Takayuki Uchihashi
- Exploratory Research Center on Life and Living Systems, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Okazaki444-8787, Japan
- Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya464-8602, Japan
- Institute for Glyco-core Research, Nagoya University, Nagoya464-8602, Japan
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8
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Davis MJ, Earley S, Li YS, Chien S. Vascular mechanotransduction. Physiol Rev 2023; 103:1247-1421. [PMID: 36603156 PMCID: PMC9942936 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00053.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/04/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This review aims to survey the current state of mechanotransduction in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) and endothelial cells (ECs), including their sensing of mechanical stimuli and transduction of mechanical signals that result in the acute functional modulation and longer-term transcriptomic and epigenetic regulation of blood vessels. The mechanosensors discussed include ion channels, plasma membrane-associated structures and receptors, and junction proteins. The mechanosignaling pathways presented include the cytoskeleton, integrins, extracellular matrix, and intracellular signaling molecules. These are followed by discussions on mechanical regulation of transcriptome and epigenetics, relevance of mechanotransduction to health and disease, and interactions between VSMCs and ECs. Throughout this review, we offer suggestions for specific topics that require further understanding. In the closing section on conclusions and perspectives, we summarize what is known and point out the need to treat the vasculature as a system, including not only VSMCs and ECs but also the extracellular matrix and other types of cells such as resident macrophages and pericytes, so that we can fully understand the physiology and pathophysiology of the blood vessel as a whole, thus enhancing the comprehension, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of vascular diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Davis
- Department of Medical Pharmacology and Physiology, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri
| | - Scott Earley
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Nevada, Reno, Nevada
| | - Yi-Shuan Li
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, California
- Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Shu Chien
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, San Diego, California
- Institute of Engineering in Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California
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Krey JF, Chatterjee P, Halford J, Cunningham CL, Perrin BJ, Barr-Gillespie PG. Control of stereocilia length during development of hair bundles. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3001964. [PMID: 37011103 PMCID: PMC10101650 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Assembly of the hair bundle, the sensory organelle of the inner ear, depends on differential growth of actin-based stereocilia. Separate rows of stereocilia, labeled 1 through 3 from tallest to shortest, lengthen or shorten during discrete time intervals during development. We used lattice structured illumination microscopy and surface rendering to measure dimensions of stereocilia from mouse apical inner hair cells during early postnatal development; these measurements revealed a sharp transition at postnatal day 8 between stage III (row 1 and 2 widening; row 2 shortening) and stage IV (final row 1 lengthening and widening). Tip proteins that determine row 1 lengthening did not accumulate simultaneously during stages III and IV; while the actin-bundling protein EPS8 peaked at the end of stage III, GNAI3 peaked several days later-in early stage IV-and GPSM2 peaked near the end of stage IV. To establish the contributions of key macromolecular assemblies to bundle structure, we examined mouse mutants that eliminated tip links (Cdh23v2J or Pcdh15av3J), transduction channels (TmieKO), or the row 1 tip complex (Myo15ash2). Cdh23v2J/v2J and Pcdh15av3J/av3J bundles had adjacent stereocilia in the same row that were not matched in length, revealing that a major role of these cadherins is to synchronize lengths of side-by-side stereocilia. Use of the tip-link mutants also allowed us to distinguish the role of transduction from effects of transduction proteins themselves. While levels of GNAI3 and GPSM2, which stimulate stereocilia elongation, were greatly attenuated at the tips of TmieKO/KO row 1 stereocilia, they accumulated normally in Cdh23v2J/v2J and Pcdh15av3J/av3J stereocilia. These results reinforced the suggestion that the transduction proteins themselves facilitate localization of proteins in the row 1 complex. By contrast, EPS8 concentrates at tips of all TmieKO/KO, Cdh23v2J/v2J, and Pcdh15av3J/av3J stereocilia, correlating with the less polarized distribution of stereocilia lengths in these bundles. These latter results indicated that in wild-type hair cells, the transduction complex prevents accumulation of EPS8 at the tips of shorter stereocilia, causing them to shrink (rows 2 and 3) or disappear (row 4 and microvilli). Reduced rhodamine-actin labeling at row 2 stereocilia tips of tip-link and transduction mutants suggests that transduction's role is to destabilize actin filaments there. These results suggest that regulation of stereocilia length occurs through EPS8 and that CDH23 and PCDH15 regulate stereocilia lengthening beyond their role in gating mechanotransduction channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn F. Krey
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Paroma Chatterjee
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Julia Halford
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Christopher L. Cunningham
- Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Benjamin J. Perrin
- Department of Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - Peter G. Barr-Gillespie
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
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Wang H, Du H, Ren R, Du T, Lin L, Feng Z, Zhao D, Wei X, Zhai X, Wang H, Dong T, Sun JP, Wu H, Xu Z, Lu Q. Temporal and spatial assembly of inner ear hair cell ankle link condensate through phase separation. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1657. [PMID: 36964137 PMCID: PMC10039067 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37267-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Stereocilia are actin-based cell protrusions of inner ear hair cells and are indispensable for mechanotransduction. Ankle links connect the ankle region of developing stereocilia, playing an essential role in stereocilia development. WHRN, PDZD7, ADGRV1 and USH2A have been identified to form the so-called ankle link complex (ALC); however, the detailed mechanism underlying the temporal emergence and degeneration of ankle links remains elusive. Here we show that WHRN and PDZD7 orchestrate ADGRV1 and USH2A to assemble the ALC through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Disruption of the ALC multivalency for LLPS largely abolishes the distribution of WHRN at the ankle region of stereocilia. Interestingly, high concentration of ADGRV1 inhibits LLPS, providing a potential mechanism for ALC disassembly. Moreover, certain deafness mutations of ALC genes weaken the multivalent interactions of ALC and impair LLPS. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that LLPS mediates ALC formation, providing essential clues for understanding the pathogenesis of deafness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huang Wang
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Haibo Du
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
- Air Force Medical Center, PLA, Beijing, 100074, China
| | - Rui Ren
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Tingting Du
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. Ear Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Lin Lin
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Zhe Feng
- School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Dange Zhao
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Xiaoxi Wei
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China
| | - Xiaoyan Zhai
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China
| | - Hongyang Wang
- College of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Department of Audiology and Vestibular Medicine, Chinese PLA Institute of Otolaryngology, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Medical School of Chinese PLA, 28 Fuxing Road, 100853, Beijing, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Otolaryngologic Diseases, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Medical School of Chinese PLA, 28 Fuxing Road, 100853, Beijing, China
| | - Tingting Dong
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. Ear Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Jin-Peng Sun
- Key Laboratory Experimental Teratology of the Ministry of Education, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. Ear Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose Diseases, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhigang Xu
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cell and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, 266237, China.
- Shandong Provincial Collaborative Innovation Center of Cell Biology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, 250014, China.
| | - Qing Lu
- Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Bio-X Institutes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200030, China.
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Shanghai Ninth People's Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. Ear Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China. Shanghai Key Laboratory of Translational Medicine on Ear and Nose Diseases, Shanghai, China.
- Bio-X-Renji Hospital Research Center, School of Medicine, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
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11
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Li J. Liquid-liquid phase separation in hair cell stereocilia development and maintenance. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:1738-1745. [PMID: 36890881 PMCID: PMC9986246 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.02.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
As an emerging concept, liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) in biological systems has shed light on the formation mechanisms of membrane-less compartments in cells. The process is driven by multivalent interactions of biomolecules such as proteins and/or nucleic acids, allowing them to form condensed structures. In the inner ear hair cells, LLPS-based biomolecular condensate assembly plays a vital role in the development and maintenance of stereocilia, the mechanosensing organelles located at the apical surface of hair cells. This review aims to summarize recent findings on the molecular basis governing the LLPS of Usher syndrome-related gene-encoding proteins and their binding partners, which may ultimately result in the formation of upper tip-link density and tip complex density in hair cell stereocilia, offering a better understanding of this severe inherited disease that causes deaf-blindness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianchao Li
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510180, China.,Division of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China
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12
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Sukharev S, Anishkin A. Mechanosensitive Channels: History, Diversity, and Mechanisms. BIOCHEMISTRY (MOSCOW), SUPPLEMENT SERIES A: MEMBRANE AND CELL BIOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1134/s1990747822090021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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13
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Qiu X, Müller U. Sensing sound: Cellular specializations and molecular force sensors. Neuron 2022; 110:3667-3687. [PMID: 36223766 PMCID: PMC9671866 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Organisms of all phyla express mechanosensitive ion channels with a wide range of physiological functions. In recent years, several classes of mechanically gated ion channels have been identified. Some of these ion channels are intrinsically mechanosensitive. Others depend on accessory proteins to regulate their response to mechanical force. The mechanotransduction machinery of cochlear hair cells provides a particularly striking example of a complex force-sensing machine. This molecular ensemble is embedded into a specialized cellular compartment that is crucial for its function. Notably, mechanotransduction channels of cochlear hair cells are not only critical for auditory perception. They also shape their cellular environment and regulate the development of auditory circuitry. Here, we summarize recent discoveries that have shed light on the composition of the mechanotransduction machinery of cochlear hair cells and how this machinery contributes to the development and function of the auditory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xufeng Qiu
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Ulrich Müller
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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14
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cAMP and voltage modulate rat auditory mechanotransduction by decreasing the stiffness of gating springs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2107567119. [PMID: 35858439 PMCID: PMC9335186 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2107567119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Regulation of auditory sensitivity contributes to the precision, dynamic range, and protection of the auditory system. Regulation of the hair cell mechanotransduction channel is a major contributor to controlling the sensitivity of the auditory transduction process. The gating spring is a critical piece of the mechanotransduction machinery because it opens and closes the mechanotransduction channel, and its stiffness regulates the sensitivity of the mechanotransduction process. In the present work, we characterize the effect of the second-messenger signaling molecule cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and identify that it reduces gating spring stiffness likely through an exchange protein directly activated by cAMP (EPAC)-mediated pathway. This is a unique physiologic mechanism to regulate gating spring stiffness. Hair cells of the auditory and vestibular systems transform mechanical input into electrical potentials through the mechanoelectrical transduction process (MET). Deflection of the mechanosensory hair bundle increases tension in the gating springs that open MET channels. Regulation of MET channel sensitivity contributes to the auditory system’s precision, wide dynamic range and, potentially, protection from overexcitation. Modulating the stiffness of the gating spring modulates the sensitivity of the MET process. Here, we investigated the role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) in rat outer hair cell MET and found that cAMP up-regulation lowers the sensitivity of the channel in a manner consistent with decreasing gating spring stiffness. Direct measurements of the mechanical properties of the hair bundle confirmed a decrease in gating spring stiffness with cAMP up-regulation. In parallel, we found that prolonged depolarization mirrored the effects of cAMP. Finally, a limited number of experiments implicate that cAMP activates the exchange protein directly activated by cAMP to mediate the changes in MET sensitivity. These results reveal that cAMP signaling modulates gating spring stiffness to affect auditory sensitivity.
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15
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Shi Y, Lin L, Wang C, Zhu J. Promotion of row 1-specific tip complex condensates by Gpsm2-Gαi provides insights into row identity of the tallest stereocilia. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn4556. [PMID: 35687681 PMCID: PMC9187228 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn4556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The mechanosensory stereocilia in hair cells are organized into rows of graded height, a property crucial for auditory perception. Gpsm2-Gαi-Whirlin-Myo15-Eps8 complex at tips of the tallest stereocilia is proposed to define hair bundle row identity, although the underlying mechanism remains elusive. Here, we find that Gpsm2 could undergo phase separation. Moreover, row 1-specific Gpsm2-Gαi complex significantly promotes the formation of the five-component tip complex density (5xTCD) condensates. The 5xTCD condensates display much stronger actin-bundling ability than those without Gpsm2-Gαi, which may provide critical insights into how Gpsm2-Gαi specifies the tallest stereocilia. A deafness-associated mutation of Gpsm2 leads to impaired formation of the 5xTCD condensates and consequently reduced actin bundling, providing possible clues for etiology of hearing loss in patients with Chudley-McCullough syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingdong Shi
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Lin Lin
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Department of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Cellular Dynamics, Biomedical Sciences and Health Laboratory of Anhui Province, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Jinwei Zhu
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
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16
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Maudoux A, Vitry S, El-Amraoui A. Vestibular Deficits in Deafness: Clinical Presentation, Animal Modeling, and Treatment Solutions. Front Neurol 2022; 13:816534. [PMID: 35444606 PMCID: PMC9013928 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2022.816534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The inner ear is responsible for both hearing and balance. These functions are dependent on the correct functioning of mechanosensitive hair cells, which convert sound- and motion-induced stimuli into electrical signals conveyed to the brain. During evolution of the inner ear, the major changes occurred in the hearing organ, whereas the structure of the vestibular organs remained constant in all vertebrates over the same period. Vestibular deficits are highly prevalent in humans, due to multiple intersecting causes: genetics, environmental factors, ototoxic drugs, infections and aging. Studies of deafness genes associated with balance deficits and their corresponding animal models have shed light on the development and function of these two sensory systems. Bilateral vestibular deficits often impair individual postural control, gaze stabilization, locomotion and spatial orientation. The resulting dizziness, vertigo, and/or falls (frequent in elderly populations) greatly affect patient quality of life. In the absence of treatment, prosthetic devices, such as vestibular implants, providing information about the direction, amplitude and velocity of body movements, are being developed and have given promising results in animal models and humans. Novel methods and techniques have led to major progress in gene therapies targeting the inner ear (gene supplementation and gene editing), 3D inner ear organoids and reprograming protocols for generating hair cell-like cells. These rapid advances in multiscale approaches covering basic research, clinical diagnostics and therapies are fostering interdisciplinary research to develop personalized treatments for vestibular disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Maudoux
- Unit Progressive Sensory Disorders, Pathophysiology and Therapy, Institut Pasteur, Institut de l'Audition, Université de Paris, INSERM-UMRS1120, Paris, France.,Center for Balance Evaluation in Children (EFEE), Otolaryngology Department, Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris, Robert-Debré University Hospital, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Vitry
- Unit Progressive Sensory Disorders, Pathophysiology and Therapy, Institut Pasteur, Institut de l'Audition, Université de Paris, INSERM-UMRS1120, Paris, France
| | - Aziz El-Amraoui
- Unit Progressive Sensory Disorders, Pathophysiology and Therapy, Institut Pasteur, Institut de l'Audition, Université de Paris, INSERM-UMRS1120, Paris, France
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17
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The genetic and phenotypic landscapes of Usher syndrome: from disease mechanisms to a new classification. Hum Genet 2022; 141:709-735. [PMID: 35353227 PMCID: PMC9034986 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-022-02448-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Usher syndrome (USH) is the most common cause of deaf–blindness in humans, with a prevalence of about 1/10,000 (~ 400,000 people worldwide). Cochlear implants are currently used to reduce the burden of hearing loss in severe-to-profoundly deaf patients, but many promising treatments including gene, cell, and drug therapies to restore the native function of the inner ear and retinal sensory cells are under investigation. The traditional clinical classification of Usher syndrome defines three major subtypes—USH1, 2 and 3—according to hearing loss severity and onset, the presence or absence of vestibular dysfunction, and age at onset of retinitis pigmentosa. Pathogenic variants of nine USH genes have been initially reported: MYO7A, USH1C, PCDH15, CDH23, and USH1G for USH1, USH2A, ADGRV1, and WHRN for USH2, and CLRN1 for USH3. Based on the co-occurrence of hearing and vision deficits, the list of USH genes has been extended to few other genes, but with limited supporting information. A consensus on combined criteria for Usher syndrome is crucial for the development of accurate diagnosis and to improve patient management. In recent years, a wealth of information has been obtained concerning the properties of the Usher proteins, related molecular networks, potential genotype–phenotype correlations, and the pathogenic mechanisms underlying the impairment or loss of hearing, balance and vision. The advent of precision medicine calls for a clear and more precise diagnosis of Usher syndrome, exploiting all the existing data to develop a combined clinical/genetic/network/functional classification for Usher syndrome.
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18
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Gianoli F, Hogan B, Dilly É, Risler T, Kozlov AS. Fast adaptation of cooperative channels engenders Hopf bifurcations in auditory hair cells. Biophys J 2022; 121:897-909. [PMID: 35176272 PMCID: PMC8943817 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2022.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2021] [Revised: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the pioneering work of Thomas Gold, published in 1948, it has been known that we owe our sensitive sense of hearing to a process in the inner ear that can amplify incident sounds on a cycle-by-cycle basis. Called the active process, it uses energy to counteract the viscous dissipation associated with sound-evoked vibrations of the ear's mechanotransduction apparatus. Despite its importance, the mechanism of the active process and the proximate source of energy that powers it have remained elusive, especially at the high frequencies characteristic of amniote hearing. This is partly due to our insufficient understanding of the mechanotransduction process in hair cells, the sensory receptors and amplifiers of the inner ear. It has been proposed previously that cyclical binding of Ca2+ ions to individual mechanotransduction channels could power the active process. That model, however, relied on tailored reaction rates that structurally forced the direction of the cycle. Here we ground our study on our previous model of hair-cell mechanotransduction, which relied on cooperative gating of pairs of channels, and incorporate into it the cyclical binding of Ca2+ ions. With a single binding site per channel and reaction rates drawn from thermodynamic principles, the current model shows that hair cells behave as nonlinear oscillators that exhibit Hopf bifurcations, dynamical instabilities long understood to be signatures of the active process. Using realistic parameter values, we find bifurcations at frequencies in the kilohertz range with physiological Ca2+ concentrations. The current model relies on the electrochemical gradient of Ca2+ as the only energy source for the active process and on the relative motion of cooperative channels within the stereociliary membrane as the sole mechanical driver. Equipped with these two mechanisms, a hair bundle proves capable of operating at frequencies in the kilohertz range, characteristic of amniote hearing.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brenna Hogan
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Émilien Dilly
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR168, Laboratoire Physico-Chimie Curie, Paris, France
| | - Thomas Risler
- Institut Curie, Université PSL, Sorbonne Université, CNRS UMR168, Laboratoire Physico-Chimie Curie, Paris, France.
| | - Andrei S Kozlov
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, UK.
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19
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Mechanotransduction in mammalian sensory hair cells. Mol Cell Neurosci 2022; 120:103706. [PMID: 35218890 PMCID: PMC9177625 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcn.2022.103706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the inner ear, the auditory and vestibular systems detect and translate sensory information regarding sound and balance. The sensory cells that transform mechanical input into an electrical signal in these systems are called hair cells. A specialized organelle on the apical surface of the hair cells called the hair bundle detects the mechanical signals. Displacement of the hair bundle causes mechanotransduction channels to open. The morphology and organization of the hair bundle, as well as the properties and characteristics of the mechanotransduction process, differ between the different hair cell types in the auditory and vestibular systems. These differences likely contribute to maximizing the transduction of specific signals in each system. This review will discuss the molecules essential for mechanotransduction and the properties of the mechanotransduction process, focusing our attention on recent data and differences between the auditory and vestibular systems.
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20
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Elferich J, Clark S, Ge J, Goehring A, Matsui A, Gouaux E. Molecular structures and conformations of protocadherin-15 and its complexes on stereocilia elucidated by cryo-electron tomography. eLife 2021; 10:74512. [PMID: 34964715 PMCID: PMC8776254 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanosensory transduction (MT), the conversion of mechanical stimuli into electrical signals, underpins hearing and balance and is carried out within hair cells in the inner ear. Hair cells harbor actin-filled stereocilia, arranged in rows of descending heights, where the tips of stereocilia are connected to their taller neighbors by a filament composed of protocadherin 15 (PCDH15) and cadherin 23 (CDH23), deemed the ‘tip link.’ Tension exerted on the tip link opens an ion channel at the tip of the shorter stereocilia, thus converting mechanical force into an electrical signal. While biochemical and structural studies have provided insights into the molecular composition and structure of isolated portions of the tip link, the architecture, location, and conformational states of intact tip links, on stereocilia, remains unknown. Here, we report in situ cryo-electron microscopy imaging of the tip link in mouse stereocilia. We observe individual PCDH15 molecules at the tip and shaft of stereocilia and determine their stoichiometry, conformational heterogeneity, and their complexes with other filamentous proteins, perhaps including CDH23. The PCDH15 complexes occur in clusters, frequently with more than one copy of PCDH15 at the tip of stereocilia, suggesting that tip links might consist of more than one copy of PCDH15 complexes and, by extension, might include multiple MT complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Elferich
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Sarah Clark
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Jingpeng Ge
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - April Goehring
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Aya Matsui
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Eric Gouaux
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, United States
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21
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Ivanchenko MV, Indzhykulian AA, Corey DP. Electron Microscopy Techniques for Investigating Structure and Composition of Hair-Cell Stereociliary Bundles. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:744248. [PMID: 34746139 PMCID: PMC8569945 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.744248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hair cells—the sensory cells of the vertebrate inner ear—bear at their apical surfaces a bundle of actin-filled protrusions called stereocilia, which mediate the cells’ mechanosensitivity. Hereditary deafness is often associated with morphological disorganization of stereocilia bundles, with the absence or mislocalization within stereocilia of specific proteins. Thus, stereocilia bundles are closely examined to understand most animal models of hereditary hearing loss. Because stereocilia have a diameter less than a wavelength of light, light microscopy is not adequate to reveal subtle changes in morphology or protein localization. Instead, electron microscopy (EM) has proven essential for understanding stereocilia bundle development, maintenance, normal function, and dysfunction in disease. Here we review a set of EM imaging techniques commonly used to study stereocilia, including optimal sample preparation and best imaging practices. These include conventional and immunogold transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as well as focused-ion-beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM), which enables 3-D serial reconstruction of resin-embedded biological structures at a resolution of a few nanometers. Parameters for optimal sample preparation, fixation, immunogold labeling, metal coating and imaging are discussed. Special attention is given to protein localization in stereocilia using immunogold labeling. Finally, we describe the advantages and limitations of these EM techniques and their suitability for different types of studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryna V Ivanchenko
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Artur A Indzhykulian
- Department of Otolaryngology, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - David P Corey
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
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22
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Mulhall EM, Ward A, Yang D, Koussa MA, Corey DP, Wong WP. Single-molecule force spectroscopy reveals the dynamic strength of the hair-cell tip-link connection. Nat Commun 2021; 12:849. [PMID: 33558532 PMCID: PMC7870652 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21033-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The conversion of auditory and vestibular stimuli into electrical signals is initiated by force transmitted to a mechanotransduction channel through the tip link, a double stranded protein filament held together by two adhesion bonds in the middle. Although thought to form a relatively static structure, the dynamics of the tip-link connection has not been measured. Here, we biophysically characterize the strength of the tip-link connection at single-molecule resolution. We show that a single tip-link bond is more mechanically stable relative to classic cadherins, and our data indicate that the double stranded tip-link connection is stabilized by single strand rebinding facilitated by strong cis-dimerization domains. The measured lifetime of seconds suggests the tip-link is far more dynamic than previously thought. We also show how Ca2+ alters tip-link lifetime through elastic modulation and reveal the mechanical phenotype of a hereditary deafness mutation. Together, these data show how the tip link is likely to function during mechanical stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M Mulhall
- Department of Neurobiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Andrew Ward
- Department of Neurobiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Darren Yang
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Mounir A Koussa
- Department of Neurobiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - David P Corey
- Department of Neurobiology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Wesley P Wong
- Program in Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Blavatnik Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
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23
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Carlton AJ, Halford J, Underhill A, Jeng J, Avenarius MR, Gilbert ML, Ceriani F, Ebisine K, Brown SDM, Bowl MR, Barr‐Gillespie PG, Marcotti W. Loss of Baiap2l2 destabilizes the transducing stereocilia of cochlear hair cells and leads to deafness. J Physiol 2021; 599:1173-1198. [PMID: 33151556 PMCID: PMC7898316 DOI: 10.1113/jp280670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Mechanoelectrical transduction at auditory hair cells requires highly specialized stereociliary bundles that project from their apical surface, forming a characteristic graded 'staircase' structure. The morphogenesis and maintenance of these stereociliary bundles is a tightly regulated process requiring the involvement of several actin-binding proteins, many of which are still unidentified. We identify a new stereociliary protein, the I-BAR protein BAIAP2L2, which localizes to the tips of the shorter transducing stereocilia in both inner and outer hair cells (IHCs and OHCs). We find that Baiap2l2 deficient mice lose their second and third rows of stereocilia, their mechanoelectrical transducer current, and develop progressive hearing loss, becoming deaf by 8 months of age. We demonstrate that BAIAP2L2 localization to stereocilia tips is dependent on the motor protein MYO15A and its cargo EPS8. We propose that BAIAP2L2 is a new key protein required for the maintenance of the transducing stereocilia in mature cochlear hair cells. ABSTRACT The transduction of sound waves into electrical signals depends upon mechanosensitive stereociliary bundles that project from the apical surface of hair cells within the cochlea. The height and width of these actin-based stereocilia is tightly regulated throughout life to establish and maintain their characteristic staircase-like structure, which is essential for normal mechanoelectrical transduction. Here, we show that BAIAP2L2, a member of the I-BAR protein family, is a newly identified hair bundle protein that is localized to the tips of the shorter rows of transducing stereocilia in mouse cochlear hair cells. BAIAP2L2 was detected by immunohistochemistry from postnatal day 2.5 (P2.5) throughout adulthood. In Baiap2l2 deficient mice, outer hair cells (OHCs), but not inner hair cells (IHCs), began to lose their third row of stereocilia and showed a reduction in the size of the mechanoelectrical transducer current from just after P9. Over the following post-hearing weeks, the ordered staircase structure of the bundle progressively deteriorates, such that, by 8 months of age, both OHCs and IHCs of Baiap2l2 deficient mice have lost most of the second and third rows of stereocilia and become deaf. We also found that BAIAP2L2 interacts with other key stereociliary proteins involved in normal hair bundle morphogenesis, such as CDC42, RAC1, EPS8 and ESPNL. Furthermore, we show that BAIAP2L2 localization to the stereocilia tips depends on the motor protein MYO15A and its cargo EPS8. We propose that BAIAP2L2 is key to maintenance of the normal actin structure of the transducing stereocilia in mature mouse cochlear hair cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J. Carlton
- Department of Biomedical ScienceUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
- Neuroscience InstituteUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Julia Halford
- Oregon Hearing Research Center & Vollum InstituteOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
| | - Anna Underhill
- Department of Biomedical ScienceUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
- Neuroscience InstituteUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Jing‐Yi Jeng
- Department of Biomedical ScienceUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
- Neuroscience InstituteUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | - Matthew R. Avenarius
- Oregon Hearing Research Center & Vollum InstituteOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
- Present address: Department of Pathology Wexner Medical CenterThe Ohio State UniversityColumbusOHUSA
| | - Merle L. Gilbert
- Oregon Hearing Research Center & Vollum InstituteOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
- Present address: US Army Medical Department Activity‐KoreaCamp HumphreysRepublic of Korea
| | - Federico Ceriani
- Department of Biomedical ScienceUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
- Neuroscience InstituteUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
| | | | - Steve D. M. Brown
- Mammalian Genetics UnitMRC Harwell InstituteHarwell CampusOxfordshireUK
| | - Michael R. Bowl
- Mammalian Genetics UnitMRC Harwell InstituteHarwell CampusOxfordshireUK
- Present address: UCL Ear InstituteUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Peter G. Barr‐Gillespie
- Oregon Hearing Research Center & Vollum InstituteOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
- Oregon Hearing Research CenterOregon Health & Science UniversityPortlandORUSA
| | - Walter Marcotti
- Department of Biomedical ScienceUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
- Neuroscience InstituteUniversity of SheffieldSheffieldUK
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24
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Lin L, Shi Y, Wang M, Wang C, Lu Q, Zhu J, Zhang R. Phase separation-mediated condensation of Whirlin-Myo15-Eps8 stereocilia tip complex. Cell Rep 2021; 34:108770. [PMID: 33626355 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Stereocilia, the mechanosensory organelles on the apical surface of hair cells, are necessary to detect sound and carry out mechano-electrical transduction. An electron-dense matrix is located at the distal tips of stereocilia and plays crucial roles in the regulation of stereocilia morphology. Mutations of the components in this tip complex density (TCD) have been associated with profound deafness. However, the mechanism underlying the formation of the TCD is largely unknown. Here, we discover that the specific multivalent interactions among the Whirlin-myosin 15 (Myo15)-Eps8 complex lead to the formation of the TCD-like condensates through liquid-liquid phase separation. The reconstituted TCD-like condensates effectively promote actin bundling. A deafness-associated mutation of Myo15 interferes with the condensates formation and consequently impairs actin bundling. Therefore, our study not only suggests that the TCD in hair cell stereocilia may form via phase separation but it also provides important clues for the possible mechanism underlying hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Yingdong Shi
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Mengli Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Membrane-less Organelles & Cellular Dynamics, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Qing Lu
- Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Jinwei Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China; Bio-X Institutes, Key Laboratory for the Genetics of Developmental and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
| | - Rongguang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China.
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25
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Abstract
Sound-induced mechanical stimuli are detected by elaborate mechanosensory transduction (MT) machinery in highly specialized hair cells of the inner ear. Genetic studies of inherited deafness in the past decades have uncovered several molecular constituents of the MT complex, and intense debate has surrounded the molecular identity of the pore-forming subunits. How the MT components function in concert in response to physical stimulation is not fully understood. In this review, we summarize and discuss multiple lines of evidence supporting the hypothesis that transmembrane channel-like 1 is a long-sought MT channel subunit. We also review specific roles of other components of the MT complex, including protocadherin 15, cadherin 23, lipoma HMGIC fusion partner-like 5, transmembrane inner ear, calcium and integrin-binding family member 2, and ankyrins. Based on these recent advances, we propose a unifying theory of hair cell MT that may reconcile most of the functional discoveries obtained to date. Finally, we discuss key questions that need to be addressed for a comprehensive understanding of hair cell MT at molecular and atomic levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wang Zheng
- Departments of Otolaryngology and Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;
| | - Jeffrey R Holt
- Departments of Otolaryngology and Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA;
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26
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Fast recovery of disrupted tip links induced by mechanical displacement of hair bundles. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:30722-30727. [PMID: 33199645 PMCID: PMC7720144 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2016858117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Each of the sensory receptors responsible for hearing or balance—a hair cell—has a mechanosensitive hair bundle. Mechanical stimuli pull upon molecular filaments—the tip links—that open ionic channels in the hair bundle. Loud sounds can damage hearing by breaking the tip links; recovery by replacement of the constituent proteins then requires several hours. We disrupted the tip links in vitro by removing the calcium ions that stabilize them, and then monitored the electrical response or stiffness of hair bundles to determine whether the links could recover. We found that tip links recovered within seconds if their ends were brought back into contact. This form of repair might occur in normal ears to restore sensitivity after damage. Hearing and balance rely on the capacity of mechanically sensitive hair bundles to transduce vibrations into electrical signals that are forwarded to the brain. Hair bundles possess tip links that interconnect the mechanosensitive stereocilia and convey force to the transduction channels. A dimer of dimers, each of these links comprises two molecules of protocadherin 15 (PCDH15) joined to two of cadherin 23 (CDH23). The “handshake” that conjoins the four molecules can be disrupted in vivo by intense stimulation and in vitro by exposure to Ca2+ chelators. Using hair bundles from the rat’s cochlea and the bullfrog’s sacculus, we observed that extensive recovery of mechanoelectrical transduction, hair bundle stiffness, and spontaneous bundle oscillation can occur within seconds after Ca2+ chelation, especially if hair bundles are deflected toward their short edges. Investigating the phenomenon in a two-compartment ionic environment that mimics natural conditions, we combined iontophoretic application of a Ca2+ chelator to selectively disrupt the tip links of individual frog hair bundles with displacement clamping to control hair bundle motion and measure forces. Our observations suggest that, after the normal Ca2+ concentration has been restored, mechanical stimulation facilitates the reconstitution of functional tip links.
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27
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Whatley M, Francis A, Ng ZY, Khoh XE, Atlas MD, Dilley RJ, Wong EYM. Usher Syndrome: Genetics and Molecular Links of Hearing Loss and Directions for Therapy. Front Genet 2020; 11:565216. [PMID: 33193648 PMCID: PMC7642844 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2020.565216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Usher syndrome (USH) is an autosomal recessive (AR) disorder that permanently and severely affects the senses of hearing, vision, and balance. Three clinically distinct types of USH have been identified, decreasing in severity from Type 1 to 3, with symptoms of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), retinitis pigmentosa (RP), and vestibular dysfunction. There are currently nine confirmed and two suspected USH-causative genes, and a further three candidate loci have been mapped. The proteins encoded by these genes form complexes that play critical roles in the development and maintenance of cellular structures within the inner ear and retina, which have minimal capacity for repair or regeneration. In the cochlea, stereocilia are located on the apical surface of inner ear hair cells (HC) and are responsible for transducing mechanical stimuli from sound pressure waves into chemical signals. These signals are then detected by the auditory nerve fibers, transmitted to the brain and interpreted as sound. Disease-causing mutations in USH genes can destabilize the tip links that bind the stereocilia to each other, and cause defects in protein trafficking and stereocilia bundle morphology, thereby inhibiting mechanosensory transduction. This review summarizes the current knowledge on Usher syndrome with a particular emphasis on mutations in USH genes, USH protein structures, and functional analyses in animal models. Currently, there is no cure for USH. However, the genetic therapies that are rapidly developing will benefit from this compilation of detailed genetic information to identify the most effective strategies for restoring functional USH proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meg Whatley
- Ear Science Institute Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Abbie Francis
- Ear Science Institute Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- Emergency Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Zi Ying Ng
- Ear Science Institute Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Xin Ee Khoh
- Ear Science Institute Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- School of Human Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Marcus D. Atlas
- Ear Science Institute Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- Ear Sciences Centre, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
| | - Rodney J. Dilley
- Ear Science Institute Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- Ear Sciences Centre, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- Centre for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine, The University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Elaine Y. M. Wong
- Ear Science Institute Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- Ear Sciences Centre, The University of Western Australia, Nedlands, WA, Australia
- School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
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28
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Structural determinants of protocadherin-15 mechanics and function in hearing and balance perception. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2020; 117:24837-24848. [PMID: 32963095 PMCID: PMC7547225 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1920444117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
When sound vibrations reach the inner ear, fine protein filaments called “tip links” stretch and open cochlear hair-cell mechanosensitive channels that trigger sensory perception. Similarly, vestibular hair cells use tip links to sense mechanical stimuli produced by head motions. Tip links are formed by cadherin-23 and protocadherin-15, two large proteins involved in hearing loss and balance disorders. Here we present multiple structures, models, and simulations that depict the lower end of the tip link, including the complete protocadherin-15 ectodomain. These models show an essential connection between cadherin-23 and protocadherin-15 with dual molecular “handshakes” and various protein sites that are mutated in inherited deafness. The simulations also reveal how the tip link responds to force to mediate hearing and balance sensing. The vertebrate inner ear, responsible for hearing and balance, is able to sense minute mechanical stimuli originating from an extraordinarily broad range of sound frequencies and intensities or from head movements. Integral to these processes is the tip-link protein complex, which conveys force to open the inner-ear transduction channels that mediate sensory perception. Protocadherin-15 and cadherin-23, two atypically large cadherins with 11 and 27 extracellular cadherin (EC) repeats, are involved in deafness and balance disorders and assemble as parallel homodimers that interact to form the tip link. Here we report the X-ray crystal structure of a protocadherin-15 + cadherin-23 heterotetrameric complex at 2.9-Å resolution, depicting a parallel homodimer of protocadherin-15 EC1-3 molecules forming an antiparallel complex with two cadherin-23 EC1-2 molecules. In addition, we report structures for 10 protocadherin-15 fragments used to build complete high-resolution models of the monomeric protocadherin-15 ectodomain. Molecular dynamics simulations and validated crystal contacts are used to propose models for the complete extracellular protocadherin-15 parallel homodimer and the tip-link bond. Steered molecular dynamics simulations of these models suggest conditions in which a structurally diverse and multimodal protocadherin-15 ectodomain can act as a stiff or soft gating spring. These results reveal the structural determinants of tip-link–mediated inner-ear sensory perception and elucidate protocadherin-15’s structural and adhesive properties relevant in disease.
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He Y, Li J, Zhang M. Myosin VII, USH1C, and ANKS4B or USH1G Together Form Condensed Molecular Assembly via Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation. Cell Rep 2020; 29:974-986.e4. [PMID: 31644917 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Hair cell stereocilia tip-links function to sense mechanical forces generated by sound waves and maintain the structure of stereocilia by rooting the tail of cadherins to highly dense structures known as tip-link densities. Although the molecular components are largely known, the mechanisms underlying the tip-link density formation are unknown. Here, we show that Myosin VIIB (MYO7B), USH1C, and ANKS4B, which form a specific complex stabilizing tip-links in intestine microvilli, could form dense condensates via liquid-liquid phase separation in vitro and in cells. The MYO7A, USH1C, and USH1G complex also undergoes phase separation in cells. Formation of the MYO7A/USH1C/USH1G and MYO7B/USH1C/ANKS4B condensates requires strong and multivalent interactions between proteins in both tripartite complexes. Point mutations of MYO7A found in Usher syndrome patients weaken or even disrupt the multivalent interactions of the MYO7A/USH1C/USH1G complex and impair its phase separation. Thus, the stereocilia tip-link densities may form via phase separation of the MYO7A/USH1C/USH1G complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyun He
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jianchao Li
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Division of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, School of Medicine, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Mingjie Zhang
- Division of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; Center of Systems Biology and Human Health, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China.
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30
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Nadar-Ponniah PT, Taiber S, Caspi M, Koffler-Brill T, Dror AA, Siman-Tov R, Rubinstein M, Padmanabhan K, Luxenburg C, Lang RA, Avraham KB, Rosin-Arbesfeld R. Striatin Is Required for Hearing and Affects Inner Hair Cells and Ribbon Synapses. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:615. [PMID: 32766247 PMCID: PMC7381154 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Striatin, a subunit of the serine/threonine phosphatase PP2A, is a core member of the conserved striatin-interacting phosphatase and kinase (STRIPAK) complexes. The protein is expressed in the cell junctions between epithelial cells, which play a role in maintaining cell-cell adhesion. Since the cell junctions are crucial for the function of the mammalian inner ear, we examined the localization and function of striatin in the mouse cochlea. Our results show that in neonatal mice, striatin is specifically expressed in the cell-cell junctions of the inner hair cells, the receptor cells in the mammalian cochlea. Auditory brainstem response measurements of striatin-deficient mice indicated a progressive, high-frequency hearing loss, suggesting that striatin is essential for normal hearing. Moreover, scanning electron micrographs of the organ of Corti revealed a moderate degeneration of the outer hair cells in the middle and basal regions, concordant with the high-frequency hearing loss. Additionally, striatin-deficient mice show aberrant ribbon synapse maturation. Loss of the outer hair cells, combined with the aberrant ribbon synapse distribution, may lead to the observed auditory impairment. Together, these results suggest a novel function for striatin in the mammalian auditory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prathamesh T. Nadar-Ponniah
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shahar Taiber
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michal Caspi
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Tal Koffler-Brill
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amiel A. Dror
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Galilee Medical Center, Nahariya, Israel
- Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel
| | - Ronen Siman-Tov
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Moran Rubinstein
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Goldschleger Eye Research Institute, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Krishnanand Padmanabhan
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Chen Luxenburg
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Richard A. Lang
- Visual Systems Group, Abrahamson Pediatric Eye Institute, Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States
| | - Karen B. Avraham
- Department of Human Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Rina Rosin-Arbesfeld
- Department of Clinical Microbiology and Immunology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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31
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Tang YQ, Lee SA, Rahman M, Vanapalli SA, Lu H, Schafer WR. Ankyrin Is An Intracellular Tether for TMC Mechanotransduction Channels. Neuron 2020; 107:112-125.e10. [PMID: 32325031 PMCID: PMC7343241 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 02/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Mechanotransduction channels have been proposed as force sensors in various physiological processes, such as hearing and touch. In particular, TMC1 has been shown to constitute the pore of hair cell mechanotransduction channels, but little is known about how force is sensed by TMC channels. Here, we identify UNC-44/ankyrin as an essential component of the TMC-1 mechanotransduction channel complex in the sensory cilia of Caenorhabditis elegans mechanoreceptor neurons. Ankyrin binds indirectly to TMC-1 via evolutionarily conserved CIB proteins, which are required for TMC-1-mediated mechanosensation in C. elegans OLQ neurons and body wall muscles. Mechanosensory activity conferred by ectopically expressed TMCs in mechanoinsensitive neurons depends on both ankyrin and CIB proteins, indicating that the ankyrin-CIB subcomplex is required for TMC mechanosensitivity. Our work indicates that ankyrin is a long-sought intracellular tether that transmits force to TMC mechanotransduction channels. TMC-1 functions as a mechanosensor in C. elegans neurons and muscles UNC-44/ankyrin binds indirectly to TMC-1 via CALM-1 CALM-1 and ankyrin are required for TMC-1-mediated mechanosensation Ankyrin acts as an intracellular tether to confer mechanosensitivity to TMC channels
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Quan Tang
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Sol Ah Lee
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0100, USA
| | - Mizanur Rahman
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Siva A Vanapalli
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Hang Lu
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0100, USA
| | - William R Schafer
- Neurobiology Division, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Francis Crick Avenue, Cambridge, UK; Department of Biology, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
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32
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Richardson GP, Petit C. Hair-Bundle Links: Genetics as the Gateway to Function. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2019; 9:cshperspect.a033142. [PMID: 30617060 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a033142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Up to five distinct cell-surface specializations interconnect the stereocilia and the kinocilium of the mature hair bundle in some species: kinocilial links, tip links, top connectors, shaft connectors, and ankle links. In developing hair bundles, transient lateral links are prominent. Mutations in genes encoding proteins associated with these links cause Usher deafness/blindness syndrome or nonsyndromic (isolated) forms of human hereditary deafness, and mice with constitutive or conditional alleles of these genes have provided considerable insight into the molecular composition and function of the different links. We describe the structure of these links and review evidence showing CDH23 and PCDH15 are components of the tip, kinocilial, and transient-lateral links, that stereocilin (STRC) and protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTPRQ) are associated with top and shaft connectors, respectively, and that USH2A and ADGRV1 are associated with the ankle links. Whereas tip links are required for mechanoelectrical transduction, all link proteins play key roles in the normal development and/or the maintenance of hair bundle structure and function. Recent crystallographic and single-particle analyses of PCDH15 and CDH23 provide insight as to how the structure of tip link may contribute to the elastic element predicted to lie in series with the hair cell's mechanoelectrical transducer channel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy P Richardson
- Sussex Neuroscience, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9QG, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Petit
- Institut Pasteur, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.,Collège de France, 75231 Paris Cedex 05, France
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33
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The Development of Cooperative Channels Explains the Maturation of Hair Cell's Mechanotransduction. Biophys J 2019; 117:1536-1548. [PMID: 31585704 PMCID: PMC6817549 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2019.08.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2019] [Revised: 08/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Hearing relies on the conversion of mechanical stimuli into electrical signals. In vertebrates, this process of mechanoelectrical transduction (MET) is performed by specialized receptors of the inner ear, the hair cells. Each hair cell is crowned by a hair bundle, a cluster of microvilli that pivot in response to sound vibrations, causing the opening and closing of mechanosensitive ion channels. Mechanical forces are projected onto the channels by molecular springs called tip links. Each tip link is thought to connect to a small number of MET channels that gate cooperatively and operate as a single transduction unit. Pushing the hair bundle in the excitatory direction opens the channels, after which they rapidly reclose in a process called fast adaptation. It has been experimentally observed that the hair cell’s biophysical properties mature gradually during postnatal development: the maximal transduction current increases, sensitivity sharpens, transduction occurs at smaller hair-bundle displacements, and adaptation becomes faster. Similar observations have been reported during tip-link regeneration after acoustic damage. Moreover, when measured at intermediate developmental stages, the kinetics of fast adaptation varies in a given cell, depending on the magnitude of the imposed displacement. The mechanisms underlying these seemingly disparate observations have so far remained elusive. Here, we show that these phenomena can all be explained by the progressive addition of MET channels of constant properties, which populate the hair bundle first as isolated entities and then progressively as clusters of more sensitive, cooperative MET channels. As the proposed mechanism relies on the difference in biophysical properties between isolated and clustered channels, this work highlights the importance of cooperative interactions between mechanosensitive ion channels for hearing.
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34
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Corey DP, Akyuz N, Holt JR. Function and Dysfunction of TMC Channels in Inner Ear Hair Cells. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2019; 9:cshperspect.a033506. [PMID: 30291150 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a033506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The TMC1 channel was identified as a protein essential for hearing in mouse and human, and recognized as one of a family of eight such proteins in mammals. The TMC family is part of a superfamily of seven branches, which includes the TMEM16s. Vertebrate hair cells express both TMC1 and TMC2. They are located at the tips of stereocilia and are required for hair cell mechanotransduction. TMC1 assembles as a dimer and its similarity to the TMEM16s has enabled a predicted tertiary structure with an ion conduction pore in each subunit of the dimer. Cysteine mutagenesis of the pore supports the role of TMC1 and TMC2 as the core channel proteins of a larger mechanotransduction complex that includes PCDH15 and LHFPL5, and perhaps TMIE, CIB2 and others.
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Affiliation(s)
- David P Corey
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Nurunisa Akyuz
- Department of Neurobiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Jeffrey R Holt
- Departments of Otolaryngology and Neurology, F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
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35
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Broken force dispersal network in tip-links by the mutations at the Ca 2+-binding residues induces hearing-loss. Biochem J 2019; 476:2411-2425. [PMID: 31399498 PMCID: PMC6717114 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20190453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Accepted: 08/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Tip-link as force-sensor in hearing conveys the mechanical force originating from sound to ion-channels while maintaining the integrity of the entire sensory assembly in the inner ear. This delicate balance between structure and function of tip-links is regulated by Ca2+-ions present in endolymph. Mutations at the Ca2+-binding sites of tip-links often lead to congenital deafness, sometimes syndromic defects impairing vision along with hearing. Although such mutations are already identified, it is still not clear how the mutants alter the structure-function properties of the force-sensors associated with diseases. With an aim to decipher the differences in force-conveying properties of the force-sensors in molecular details, we identified the conformational variability of mutant and wild-type tip-links at the single-molecule level using FRET at the endolymphatic Ca2+ concentrations and subsequently measured the force-responsive behavior using single-molecule force spectroscopy with an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). AFM allowed us to mimic the high and wide range of force ramps (103-106 pN s-1) as experienced in the inner ear. We performed in silico network analysis to learn that alterations in the conformations of the mutants interrupt the natural force-propagation paths through the sensors and make the mutant tip-links vulnerable to input forces from sound stimuli. We also demonstrated that a Ca2+ rich environment can restore the force-response of the mutant tip-links which may eventually facilitate the designing of better therapeutic strategies to the hearing loss.
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36
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Abstract
Auditory transduction is fast and sensitive owing to the direct detection of mechanical stimuli by hair cells, the sensory receptors of the internal ear. A study by Dionne et al. (2018) in this issue of Neuron suggests how signals propagate through tip links, the cadherin-based strands that gate mechanically sensitive channels.
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37
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Elasticity of individual protocadherin 15 molecules implicates tip links as the gating springs for hearing. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:11048-11056. [PMID: 31072932 PMCID: PMC6561218 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1902163116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Our hearing depends on mechanosensitive channels in hair cells of the inner ear. Experiments suggest that each channel is opened by a “gating spring,” an elastic element that conveys displacement of a hair bundle to the channel. Appropriate stiffness of the gating spring permits the discrimination of different sound amplitudes; if the spring is too stiff, then a faint sound will elicit the same response as a loud sound, opening all of a cell’s channels. Although the tip link—a fine molecular filament—might be the gating spring, its properties have remained controversial. Using high-precision optical tweezers, we demonstrate that the mechanical properties of a tip link protein correlate with those of a gating spring in vivo. Hair cells, the sensory receptors of the inner ear, respond to mechanical forces originating from sounds and accelerations. An essential feature of each hair cell is an array of filamentous tip links, consisting of the proteins protocadherin 15 (PCDH15) and cadherin 23 (CDH23), whose tension is thought to directly gate the cell’s transduction channels. These links are considered far too stiff to represent the gating springs that convert hair bundle displacement into forces capable of opening the channels, and no mechanism has been suggested through which tip-link stiffness could be varied to accommodate hair cells of distinct frequency sensitivity in different receptor organs and animals. Consequently, the gating spring’s identity and mechanism of operation remain central questions in sensory neuroscience. Using a high-precision optical trap, we show that an individual monomer of PCDH15 acts as an entropic spring that is much softer than its enthalpic stiffness alone would suggest. This low stiffness implies that the protein is a significant part of the gating spring that controls a hair cell’s transduction channels. The tip link’s entropic nature then allows for stiffness control through modulation of its tension. We find that a PCDH15 molecule is unstable under tension and exhibits a rich variety of reversible unfolding events that are augmented when the Ca2+ concentration is reduced to physiological levels. Therefore, tip link tension and Ca2+ concentration are likely parameters through which nature tunes a gating spring’s mechanical properties.
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38
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Nam JH, Grant JW, Rowe MH, Peterson EH. Multiscale modeling of mechanotransduction in the utricle. J Neurophysiol 2019; 122:132-150. [PMID: 30995138 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00068.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
We review recent progress in using numerical models to relate utricular hair bundle and otoconial membrane (OM) structure to the functional requirements imposed by natural behavior in turtles. The head movements section reviews the evolution of experimental attempts to understand vestibular system function with emphasis on turtles, including data showing that accelerations occurring during natural head movements achieve higher magnitudes and frequencies than previously assumed. The structure section reviews quantitative anatomical data documenting topographical variation in the structures underlying macromechanical and micromechanical responses of the turtle utricle to head movement: hair bundles, OM, and bundle-OM coupling. The macromechanics section reviews macromechanical models that incorporate realistic anatomical and mechanical parameters and reveal that the system is significantly underdamped, contrary to previous assumptions. The micromechanics: hair bundle motion and met currents section reviews work based on micromechanical models, which demonstrates that topographical variation in the structure of hair bundles and OM, and their mode of coupling, result in regional specializations for signaling of low frequency (or static) head position and high frequency head accelerations. We conclude that computational models based on empirical data are especially promising for investigating mechanotransduction in this challenging sensorimotor system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jong-Hoon Nam
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester , Rochester, New York
| | - J W Grant
- Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | - M H Rowe
- Department of Biology, Neuroscience Program, Quantitative Biology Institute, Ohio University , Athens, Ohio
| | - E H Peterson
- Department of Biology, Neuroscience Program, Quantitative Biology Institute, Ohio University , Athens, Ohio
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39
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Tobin M, Chaiyasitdhi A, Michel V, Michalski N, Martin P. Stiffness and tension gradients of the hair cell's tip-link complex in the mammalian cochlea. eLife 2019; 8:e43473. [PMID: 30932811 PMCID: PMC6464607 DOI: 10.7554/elife.43473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Accepted: 03/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Sound analysis by the cochlea relies on frequency tuning of mechanosensory hair cells along a tonotopic axis. To clarify the underlying biophysical mechanism, we have investigated the micromechanical properties of the hair cell's mechanoreceptive hair bundle within the apical half of the rat cochlea. We studied both inner and outer hair cells, which send nervous signals to the brain and amplify cochlear vibrations, respectively. We find that tonotopy is associated with gradients of stiffness and resting mechanical tension, with steeper gradients for outer hair cells, emphasizing the division of labor between the two hair-cell types. We demonstrate that tension in the tip links that convey force to the mechano-electrical transduction channels increases at reduced Ca2+. Finally, we reveal gradients in stiffness and tension at the level of a single tip link. We conclude that mechanical gradients of the tip-link complex may help specify the characteristic frequency of the hair cell.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélanie Tobin
- Laboratoire Physico-Chimie CurieInstitut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR168ParisFrance
- Sorbonne UniversitéParisFrance
| | - Atitheb Chaiyasitdhi
- Laboratoire Physico-Chimie CurieInstitut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR168ParisFrance
- Sorbonne UniversitéParisFrance
| | - Vincent Michel
- Sorbonne UniversitéParisFrance
- Laboratoire de Génétique et Physiologie de l’AuditionInstitut PasteurParisFrance
- UMRS 1120, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)ParisFrance
| | - Nicolas Michalski
- Sorbonne UniversitéParisFrance
- Laboratoire de Génétique et Physiologie de l’AuditionInstitut PasteurParisFrance
- UMRS 1120, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)ParisFrance
| | - Pascal Martin
- Laboratoire Physico-Chimie CurieInstitut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR168ParisFrance
- Sorbonne UniversitéParisFrance
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40
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Metlagel Z, Krey JF, Song J, Swift MF, Tivol WJ, Dumont RA, Thai J, Chang A, Seifikar H, Volkmann N, Hanein D, Barr-Gillespie PG, Auer M. Electron cryo-tomography of vestibular hair-cell stereocilia. J Struct Biol 2019; 206:149-155. [PMID: 30822456 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsb.2019.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2018] [Revised: 02/13/2019] [Accepted: 02/17/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
High-resolution imaging of hair-cell stereocilia of the inner ear has contributed substantially to our understanding of auditory and vestibular function. To provide three-dimensional views of the structure of stereocilia cytoskeleton and membranes, we developed a method for rapidly freezing unfixed stereocilia on electron microscopy grids, which allowed subsequent 3D imaging by electron cryo-tomography. Structures of stereocilia tips, shafts, and tapers were revealed, demonstrating that the actin paracrystal was not perfectly ordered. This sample-preparation and imaging procedure will allow for examination of structural features of stereocilia in a near-native state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoltan Metlagel
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jocelyn F Krey
- Oregon Hearing Research Center & Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Junha Song
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Mark F Swift
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, USA
| | - William J Tivol
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Rachel A Dumont
- Oregon Hearing Research Center & Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Jasmine Thai
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Alex Chang
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Helia Seifikar
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Niels Volkmann
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, USA
| | - Dorit Hanein
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Program, Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, San Diego, USA
| | - Peter G Barr-Gillespie
- Oregon Hearing Research Center & Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Manfred Auer
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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41
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De-la-Torre P, Choudhary D, Araya-Secchi R, Narui Y, Sotomayor M. A Mechanically Weak Extracellular Membrane-Adjacent Domain Induces Dimerization of Protocadherin-15. Biophys J 2018; 115:2368-2385. [PMID: 30527337 PMCID: PMC6302040 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2018] [Revised: 11/01/2018] [Accepted: 11/05/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The cadherin superfamily of proteins is defined by the presence of extracellular cadherin (EC) "repeats" that engage in protein-protein interactions to mediate cell-cell adhesion, cell signaling, and mechanotransduction. The extracellular domains of nonclassical cadherins often have a large number of EC repeats along with other subdomains of various folds. Protocadherin-15 (PCDH15), a protein component of the inner-ear tip link filament essential for mechanotransduction, has 11 EC repeats and a membrane adjacent domain (MAD12) of atypical fold. Here we report the crystal structure of a pig PCDH15 fragment including EC10, EC11, and MAD12 in a parallel dimeric arrangement. MAD12 has a unique molecular architecture and folds as a ferredoxin-like domain similar to that found in the nucleoporin protein Nup54. Analytical ultracentrifugation experiments along with size-exclusion chromatography coupled to multiangle laser light scattering and small-angle x-ray scattering corroborate the crystallographic dimer and show that MAD12 induces parallel dimerization of PCDH15 near its membrane insertion point. In addition, steered molecular dynamics simulations suggest that MAD12 is mechanically weak and may unfold before tip-link rupture. Sequence analyses and structural modeling predict the existence of similar domains in cadherin-23, protocadherin-24, and the "giant" FAT and CELSR cadherins, indicating that some of them may also exhibit MAD-induced parallel dimerization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro De-la-Torre
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Deepanshu Choudhary
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Raul Araya-Secchi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio; Structural Biophysics, Section for Neutron and X-ray Science, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Yoshie Narui
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Marcos Sotomayor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.
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42
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Hu Q, Guo L, Li J, Song C, Yu L, He DZZ, Xiong W. Deletion of Kncn Does Not Affect Kinocilium and Stereocilia Bundle Morphogenesis and Mechanotransduction in Cochlear Hair Cells. Front Mol Neurosci 2018; 11:326. [PMID: 30254566 PMCID: PMC6141681 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2018.00326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Auditory hair cells possess stunning cilia structure that composes of a bundle of stereocilia for mechano-electrical transduction and a single kinocilium for guiding the polarity of hair bundle towards maturation. However, the molecules underlying kinocilium function have not yet been fully understood. Hence, the proteins involved in hair bundle development and function are of a large interest. From a fine microarray analysis, we found that kinocilin (Kncn) was enriched in hair cell specific expression profile. Consistently, it has been reported that KNCN was a protein mainly located in the kinocilium of hair cells in the inner ear. However, the hypothesis that KNCN is a kinocilium protein has not been validated in mice with Kncn gene perturbed. In this study, we generated Kncn knockout mouse lines by CRISPR/Cas9 technique and further examined the morphology and function of cochlear hair cells. Our results showed that there was no obvious hearing loss in the knockout mice, determined by audiometry. Histological study demonstrated that the inner ear and hair cell structure were intact. Especially, there was no deficit of mechanotransduction (MET) in cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs). In summary, our work suggests that KNCN is not essential for kinocilium-oriented hair bundle function in cochlear hair cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun Hu
- Tsinghua-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Li Guo
- Department of Otolaryngology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Li
- Tsinghua-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Chenmeng Song
- Tsinghua-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Lisheng Yu
- Department of Otolaryngology, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - David Z Z He
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, Creighton University, Omaha, NE, United States
| | - Wei Xiong
- Tsinghua-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
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43
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Jaiganesh A, Narui Y, Araya-Secchi R, Sotomayor M. Beyond Cell-Cell Adhesion: Sensational Cadherins for Hearing and Balance. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2018; 10:a029280. [PMID: 28847902 PMCID: PMC6008173 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a029280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Cadherins form a large family of proteins often involved in calcium-dependent cellular adhesion. Although classical members of the family can provide a physical bond between cells, a subset of special cadherins use their extracellular domains to interlink apical specializations of single epithelial sensory cells. Two of these cadherins, cadherin-23 (CDH23) and protocadherin-15 (PCDH15), form extracellular "tip link" filaments that connect apical bundles of stereocilia on hair cells essential for inner-ear mechanotransduction. As these bundles deflect in response to mechanical stimuli from sound or head movements, tip links gate hair-cell mechanosensitive channels to initiate sensory perception. Here, we review the unusual and diverse structural properties of these tip-link cadherins and the functional significance of their deafness-related missense mutations. Based on the structural features of CDH23 and PCDH15, we discuss the elasticity of tip links and models that bridge the gap between the nanomechanics of cadherins and the micromechanics of hair-cell bundles during inner-ear mechanotransduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avinash Jaiganesh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Yoshie Narui
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Raul Araya-Secchi
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Marcos Sotomayor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
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44
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An S, Kim B, Kwon S, Moon G, Lee M, Jhe W. Buckling-Based Non-Linear Mechanical Sensor. SENSORS 2018; 18:s18082637. [PMID: 30103506 PMCID: PMC6111591 DOI: 10.3390/s18082637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Revised: 08/07/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Mechanical sensors provide core keys for high-end research in quantitative understanding of fundamental phenomena and practical applications such as the force or pressure sensor, accelerometer and gyroscope. In particular, in situ sensitive and reliable detection is essential for measurements of the mechanical vibration and displacement forces in inertial sensors or seismometers. However, enhancing sensitivity, reducing response time and equipping sensors with a measurement capability of bidirectional mechanical perturbations remains challenging. Here, we demonstrate the buckling cantilever-based non-linear dynamic mechanical sensor which addresses intrinsic limitations associated with high sensitivity, reliability and durability. The cantilever is attached on to a high-Q tuning fork and initially buckled by being pressed against a solid surface while a flexural stress is applied. Then, buckling instability occurs near the bifurcation region due to lateral movement, which allows high-sensitive detection of the lateral and perpendicular surface acoustic waves with bandwidth-limited temporal response of less than 1 ms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangmin An
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.
| | - Bongsu Kim
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.
| | - Soyoung Kwon
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.
| | - Geol Moon
- Department of Physics, Chonnam National University, Gwangju, Chonnam 61186, Korea.
| | - Manhee Lee
- Department of Physics, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk 28644, Korea.
| | - Wonho Jhe
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea.
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45
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Ge J, Elferich J, Goehring A, Zhao H, Schuck P, Gouaux E. Structure of mouse protocadherin 15 of the stereocilia tip link in complex with LHFPL5. eLife 2018; 7:38770. [PMID: 30070639 PMCID: PMC6092121 DOI: 10.7554/elife.38770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Hearing and balance involve the transduction of mechanical stimuli into electrical signals by deflection of bundles of stereocilia linked together by protocadherin 15 (PCDH15) and cadherin 23 'tip links'. PCDH15 transduces tip link tension into opening of a mechano-electrical transduction (MET) ion channel. PCDH15 also interacts with LHFPL5, a candidate subunit of the MET channel. Here we illuminate the PCDH15-LHFPL5 structure, showing how the complex is composed of PCDH15 and LHFPL5 subunit pairs related by a 2-fold axis. The extracellular cadherin domains define a mobile tether coupled to a rigid, 2-fold symmetric 'collar' proximal to the membrane bilayer. LHFPL5 forms extensive interactions with the PCDH15 transmembrane helices and stabilizes the overall PCDH15-LHFPL5 assembly. Our studies illuminate the architecture of the PCDH15-LHFPL5 complex, localize mutations associated with deafness, and shed new light on how forces in the PCDH15 tether may be transduced into the stereocilia membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingpeng Ge
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Johannes Elferich
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, United States
| | - April Goehring
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, United States
| | - Huaying Zhao
- Laboratory of Cellular Imaging and Macromolecular Biophysics, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Peter Schuck
- Laboratory of Cellular Imaging and Macromolecular Biophysics, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Eric Gouaux
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, United States.,Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, United States
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46
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Ballesteros A, Fenollar-Ferrer C, Swartz KJ. Structural relationship between the putative hair cell mechanotransduction channel TMC1 and TMEM16 proteins. eLife 2018; 7:38433. [PMID: 30063209 PMCID: PMC6067890 DOI: 10.7554/elife.38433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The hair cell mechanotransduction (MET) channel complex is essential for hearing, yet it's molecular identity and structure remain elusive. The transmembrane channel-like 1 (TMC1) protein localizes to the site of the MET channel, interacts with the tip-link responsible for mechanical gating, and genetic alterations in TMC1 alter MET channel properties and cause deafness, supporting the hypothesis that TMC1 forms the MET channel. We generated a model of TMC1 based on X-ray and cryo-EM structures of TMEM16 proteins, revealing the presence of a large cavity near the protein-lipid interface that also harbors the Beethoven mutation, suggesting that it could function as a permeation pathway. We also find that hair cells are permeable to 3 kDa dextrans, and that dextran permeation requires TMC1/2 proteins and functional MET channels, supporting the presence of a large permeation pathway and the hypothesis that TMC1 is a pore forming subunit of the MET channel complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Ballesteros
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Cristina Fenollar-Ferrer
- Laboratory of Molecular & Cellular Neurobiology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.,Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States.,Molecular Biology and Genetics Section, National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
| | - Kenton Jon Swartz
- Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, United States
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47
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Dionne G, Qiu X, Rapp M, Liang X, Zhao B, Peng G, Katsamba PS, Ahlsen G, Rubinstein R, Potter CS, Carragher B, Honig B, Müller U, Shapiro L. Mechanotransduction by PCDH15 Relies on a Novel cis-Dimeric Architecture. Neuron 2018; 99:480-492.e5. [PMID: 30057206 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2018.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The tip link, a filament formed by protocadherin 15 (PCDH15) and cadherin 23, conveys mechanical force from sound waves and head movement to open hair-cell mechanotransduction channels. Tip-link cadherins are thought to have acquired structural features critical for their role in mechanotransduction. Here, we biophysically and structurally characterize the unusual cis-homodimeric architecture of PCDH15. We show that PCDH15 molecules form double-helical assemblies through cis-dimerization interfaces in the extracellular cadherin EC2-EC3 domain region and in a unique membrane-proximal domain. Electron microscopy studies visualize the cis-dimeric PCDH15 assembly and reveal the PCDH15 extracellular domain as a parallel double helix with cis cross-bridges at the two locations we defined. The helical configuration suggests the potential for elasticity through helix winding and unwinding. Functional studies in hair cells show that mutations that perturb PCDH15 dimerization contacts affect mechanotransduction. Together, these data reveal the cis-dimeric architecture of PCDH15 and show that dimerization is critical for sensing mechanical stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilman Dionne
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Xufeng Qiu
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Micah Rapp
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Xiaoping Liang
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Bo Zhao
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Guihong Peng
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Phinikoula S Katsamba
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Goran Ahlsen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Rotem Rubinstein
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Clinton S Potter
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Bridget Carragher
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; National Resource for Automated Molecular Microscopy, Simons Electron Microscopy Center, New York Structural Biology Center, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Barry Honig
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
| | - Ulrich Müller
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Lawrence Shapiro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA; Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Systems Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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48
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Jaiganesh A, De-la-Torre P, Patel AA, Termine DJ, Velez-Cortes F, Chen C, Sotomayor M. Zooming in on Cadherin-23: Structural Diversity and Potential Mechanisms of Inherited Deafness. Structure 2018; 26:1210-1225.e4. [PMID: 30033219 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2018.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Cadherin-23 (CDH23) is an essential component of hair-cell tip links, fine filaments that mediate inner-ear mechanotransduction. The extracellular domain of CDH23 forms about three-fourths of the tip link with 27 extracellular cadherin (EC) repeats that are structurally similar but not identical to each other. Calcium (Ca2+) coordination at the EC linker regions is key for tip-link elasticity and function. There are ∼116 sites in CDH23 affected by deafness-causing mutations, many of which alter conserved Ca2+-binding residues. Here we present crystal structures showing 18 CDH23 EC repeats, including the most and least conserved, a fragment carrying disease mutations, and EC repeats with non-canonical Ca2+-binding motif sequences and unusual secondary structure. Complementary experiments show deafness mutations' effects on stability and affinity for Ca2+. Additionally, a model of nine contiguous CDH23 EC repeats reveals helicity and potential parallel dimerization faces. Overall, our studies provide detailed structural insight into CDH23 function in mechanotransduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avinash Jaiganesh
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 484 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Biophysics Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Pedro De-la-Torre
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 484 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Aniket A Patel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 484 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Domenic J Termine
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 484 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Florencia Velez-Cortes
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 484 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Conghui Chen
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 484 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Marcos Sotomayor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, The Ohio State University, 484 West 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Biophysics Graduate Program, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Variable number of TMC1-dependent mechanotransducer channels underlie tonotopic conductance gradients in the cochlea. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2185. [PMID: 29872055 PMCID: PMC5988745 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-04589-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional mechanoelectrical transduction (MET) channels of cochlear hair cells require the presence of transmembrane channel-like protein isoforms TMC1 or TMC2. We show that TMCs are required for normal stereociliary bundle development and distinctively influence channel properties. TMC1-dependent channels have larger single-channel conductance and in outer hair cells (OHCs) support a tonotopic apex-to-base conductance gradient. Each MET channel complex exhibits multiple conductance states in ~50 pS increments, basal MET channels having more large-conductance levels. Using mice expressing fluorescently tagged TMCs, we show a three-fold increase in number of TMC1 molecules per stereocilium tip from cochlear apex to base, mirroring the channel conductance gradient in OHCs. Single-molecule photobleaching indicates the number of TMC1 molecules per MET complex changes from ~8 at the apex to ~20 at base. The results suggest there are varying numbers of channels per MET complex, each requiring multiple TMC1 molecules, and together operating in a coordinated or cooperative manner. Mechanoelectrical transduction channel (MET) current found in stereocilia of hair cells matures over the first postnatal week. Here the authors look at the contribution of transmembrane channel-like protein 1 and 2 (TMC1 and TMC2) to MET current during development of tonotopic gradients.
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Abstract
Buckling, first introduced by Euler in 1744 [Euler L (1744) Opera Omnia I 24:231], a sudden mechanical sideways deflection of a structural member under compressive stress, represents a bifurcation in the solution to the equations of static equilibrium. Although it has been investigated in diverse research areas, such a common nonlinear phenomenon may be useful to devise a unique mechanical sensor that addresses the still-challenging features, such as the enhanced sensitivity and polarization-dependent detection capability. We demonstrate the bifurcation-enhanced sensitive measurement of mechanical vibrations using the nonlinear buckled cantilever tip in ambient conditions. The cantilever, initially buckled with its tip pinned, flips its buckling near the bifurcation point (BP), where the buckled tip becomes softened. The enhanced mechanical sensitivity results from the increasing fluctuations, unlike the typical linear sensors, which facilitate the noise-induced buckling-to-flipping transition of the softened cantilever. This allows the in situ continuous or repeated single-shot detection of the surface acoustic waves of different polarizations without any noticeable wear of the tip. We obtained the sensitivity above 106 V(m/s)-1, a 1,000-fold enhancement over the conventional seismometers. Our results lead to development of mechanical sensors of high sensitivity, reproducibility, and durability, which may be applied to detect, e.g., the directional surface waves on the laboratory as well as the geological scale.
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