1
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Li G, Gao Y, Wu H, Zhao T. Gentamicin administration leads to synaptic dysfunction in inner hair cells. Toxicol Lett 2024; 391:86-99. [PMID: 38101494 DOI: 10.1016/j.toxlet.2023.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
Ototoxicity is a major side effect of aminoglycosides, which can cause irreversible hearing loss. Previous studies on aminoglycoside-induced ototoxicity have primarily focused on the loss of sensory hair cells. Recent investigations have revealed that aminoglycosides can also lead to the loss of ribbon synapses in inner hair cells (IHCs). However, the functional implications of ribbon synapse loss and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we intraperitoneally injected C57BL/6 J mice with 300 mg/kg gentamicin once daily for 3, 10, and 20 days. Then, we performed immunofluorescence staining, patch-clamp recording, proteomics analysis and western blotting to characterize the changes in ribbon synapses in IHCs and the associated mechanisms. After gentamicin treatment, the auditory brainstem response (ABR) threshold was elevated, and the ABR wave I amplitude was decreased. We also observed loss of ribbon synapses in IHCs. Interestingly, ribbon synapse loss occurred on both the modiolar and pillar sides of IHCs. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings in IHCs revealed a reduction in the calcium current amplitude, along with a shifted half-activation voltage and altered calcium voltage dependency. Moreover, exocytosis of IHCs was reduced, consistent with the reduction in the ABR wave I amplitude. Through proteomic analysis, western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining, we found that gentamicin treatment resulted in downregulation of myosin VI, a protein crucial for synaptic vesicle recycling and replenishment in IHCs. Furthermore, we evaluated the kinetics of endocytosis and found a significant reduction in IHC exocytosis, possibly reflecting the impact of myosin VI downregulation on synaptic vesicle recycling. In summary, our findings demonstrate that gentamicin treatment leads to synaptic dysfunction in IHCs, highlighting the important role of myosin VI downregulation in gentamicin-induced synaptic damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gen Li
- 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
| | - Yunge Gao
- 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
| | - 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.
| | - Ting Zhao
- 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.
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2
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Tichacek O, Mistrík P, Jungwirth P. From the outer ear to the nerve: A complete computer model of the peripheral auditory system. Hear Res 2023; 440:108900. [PMID: 37944408 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2023.108900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Computer models of the individual components of the peripheral auditory system - the outer, middle, and inner ears and the auditory nerve - have been developed in the past, with varying level of detail, breadth, and faithfulness of the underlying parameters. Building on previous work, we advance the modeling of the ear by presenting a complete, physiologically justified, bottom-up computer model based on up-to-date experimental data that integrates all of these parts together seamlessly. The detailed bottom-up design of the present model allows for the investigation of partial hearing mechanisms and their defects, including genetic, molecular, and microscopic factors. Also, thanks to the completeness of the model, one can study microscopic effects in the context of their implications on hearing as a whole, enabling the correlation with neural recordings and non-invasive psychoacoustic methods. Such a model is instrumental for advancing quantitative understanding of the mechanism of hearing, for investigating various forms of hearing impairment, as well as for devising next generation hearing aids and cochlear implants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ondrej Tichacek
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nam. 2, 160 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
| | | | - Pavel Jungwirth
- Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Flemingovo nam. 2, 160 00 Prague 6, Czech Republic.
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3
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Kim MH, Strazza P, Puthussery T, Gross OP, Taylor WR, von Gersdorff H. Functional maturation of the rod bipolar to AII-amacrine cell ribbon synapse in the mouse retina. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113440. [PMID: 37976158 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113440] [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: 10/09/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Retinal ribbon synapses undergo functional changes after eye opening that remain uncharacterized. Using light-flash stimulation and paired patch-clamp recordings, we examined the maturation of the ribbon synapse between rod bipolar cells (RBCs) and AII-amacrine cells (AII-ACs) after eye opening (postnatal day 14) in the mouse retina at near physiological temperatures. We find that light-evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in AII-ACs exhibit a slow sustained component that increases in magnitude with advancing age, whereas a fast transient component remains unchanged. Similarly, paired recordings reveal a dual-component EPSC with a slower sustained component that increases during development, even though the miniature EPSC (mEPSC) amplitude and kinetics do not change significantly. We thus propose that the readily releasable pool of vesicles from RBCs increases after eye opening, and we estimate that a short light flash can evoke the release of ∼4,000 vesicles onto a single mature AII-AC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mean-Hwan Kim
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Allen Institute for Brain Science, Seattle, WA 98109, USA.
| | - Paulo Strazza
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Teresa Puthussery
- Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Owen P Gross
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Department of Physics, Reed College, Portland, OR 97202, USA
| | - W Rowland Taylor
- Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science, Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Henrique von Gersdorff
- The Vollum Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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4
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Johnson E, Clark M, Oncul M, Pantiru A, MacLean C, Deuchars J, Deuchars SA, Johnston J. Graded spikes differentially signal neurotransmitter input in cerebrospinal fluid contacting neurons of the mouse spinal cord. iScience 2022; 26:105914. [PMID: 36691620 PMCID: PMC9860393 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The action potential and its all-or-none nature is fundamental to neural communication. Canonically, the action potential is initiated once voltage-activated Na+ channels are activated, and their rapid kinetics of activation and inactivation give rise to the action potential's all-or-none nature. Here we demonstrate that cerebrospinal fluid contacting neurons (CSFcNs) surrounding the central canal of the mouse spinal cord employ a different strategy. Rather than using voltage-activated Na+ channels to generate binary spikes, CSFcNs use two different types of voltage-activated Ca2+ channel, enabling spikes of different amplitude. T-type Ca2+ channels generate small amplitude spikes, whereas larger amplitude spikes require high voltage-activated Cd2+-sensitive Ca2+ channels. We demonstrate that these different amplitude spikes can signal input from different transmitter systems; purinergic inputs evoke smaller T-type dependent spikes whereas cholinergic inputs evoke larger spikes that do not rely on T-type channels. Different synaptic inputs to CSFcNs can therefore be signaled by the spike amplitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Johnson
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Marilyn Clark
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Merve Oncul
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Andreea Pantiru
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Claudia MacLean
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Jim Deuchars
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Susan A. Deuchars
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Jamie Johnston
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK,Corresponding author
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5
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Savitska D, Hess M, Calis D, Marchetta P, Harasztosi C, Fink S, Eckert P, Ruth P, Rüttiger L, Knipper M, Singer W. Stress Affects Central Compensation of Neural Responses to Cochlear Synaptopathy in a cGMP-Dependent Way. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:864706. [PMID: 35968392 PMCID: PMC9372611 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.864706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In light of the increasing evidence supporting a link between hearing loss and dementia, it is critical to gain a better understanding of the nature of this relationship. We have previously observed that following cochlear synaptopathy, the temporal auditory processing (e.g., auditory steady state responses, ASSRs), is sustained when reduced auditory input is centrally compensated. This central compensation process was linked to elevated hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). We further observed that, independently of age, central responsiveness to cochlear synaptopathy can differ, resulting in either a low or high capacity to compensate for the reduced auditory input. Lower central compensation resulted in poorer temporal auditory processing, reduced hippocampal LTP, and decreased recruitment of activity-dependent brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in hippocampal regions (low compensators). Higher central compensation capacity resulted in better temporal auditory processing, higher LTP responses, and increased activity-dependent BDNF expression in hippocampal regions. Here, we aimed to identify modifying factors that are potentially responsible for these different central responses. Strikingly, a poorer central compensation capacity was linked to lower corticosterone levels in comparison to those of high compensators. High compensators responded to repeated placebo injections with elevated blood corticosterone levels, reduced auditory brainstem response (ABR) wave I amplitude, reduced inner hair cell (IHC) ribbon number, diminished temporal processing, reduced LTP responses, and decreased activity-dependent hippocampal BDNF expression. In contrast, the same stress exposure through injection did not elevate blood corticosterone levels in low compensators, nor did it reduce IHC ribbons, ABR wave I amplitude, ASSR, LTP, or BDNF expression as seen in high compensators. Interestingly, in high compensators, the stress-induced responses, such as a decline in ABR wave I amplitude, ASSR, LTP, and BDNF could be restored through the “memory-enhancing” drug phosphodiesterase 9A inhibitor (PDE9i). In contrast, the same treatment did not improve these aspects in low compensators. Thus, central compensation of age-dependent cochlear synaptopathy is a glucocorticoid and cyclic guanosine-monophosphate (cGMP)-dependent neuronal mechanism that fails upon a blunted stress response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria Savitska
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Morgan Hess
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dila Calis
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Philine Marchetta
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Csaba Harasztosi
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Fink
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Philipp Eckert
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Peter Ruth
- Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Clinical Pharmacy, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lukas Rüttiger
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Marlies Knipper
| | - Wibke Singer
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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6
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Spaiardi P, Marcotti W, Masetto S, Johnson SL. Signal transmission in mature mammalian vestibular hair cells. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:806913. [PMID: 35936492 PMCID: PMC9353129 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.806913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The maintenance of balance and gaze relies on the faithful and rapid signaling of head movements to the brain. In mammals, vestibular organs contain two types of sensory hair cells, type-I and type-II, which convert the head motion-induced movement of their hair bundles into a graded receptor potential that drives action potential activity in their afferent fibers. While signal transmission in both hair cell types involves Ca2+-dependent quantal release of glutamate at ribbon synapses, type-I cells appear to also exhibit a non-quantal mechanism that is believed to increase transmission speed. However, the reliance of mature type-I hair cells on non-quantal transmission remains unknown. Here we investigated synaptic transmission in mammalian utricular hair cells using patch-clamp recording of Ca2+ currents and changes in membrane capacitance (ΔCm). We found that mature type-II hair cells showed robust exocytosis with a high-order dependence on Ca2+ entry. By contrast, exocytosis was approximately 10 times smaller in type-I hair cells. Synaptic vesicle exocytosis was largely absent in mature vestibular hair cells of CaV1.3 (CaV1.3−/−) and otoferlin (Otof−/−) knockout mice. Even though Ca2+-dependent exocytosis was small in type-I hair cells of wild-type mice, or absent in CaV1.3−/− and Otof−/−mice, these cells were able to drive action potential activity in the postsynaptic calyces. This supports a functional role for non-quantal synaptic transmission in type-I cells. The large vesicle pools in type-II cells would facilitate sustained transmission of tonic or low-frequency signals. In type-I cells, the restricted vesicle pool size, together with a rapid non-quantal mechanism, could allow them to sustain high-frequency phasic signal transmission at their specialized large calyceal synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Spaiardi
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Walter Marcotti
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Sheffield Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Sergio Masetto
- Department of Brain and Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Stuart L. Johnson
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Sheffield Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- *Correspondence: Stuart L. Johnson
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7
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Jang MW, Lim J, Park MG, Lee JH, Lee CJ. Active role of glia-like supporting cells in the organ of Corti: Membrane proteins and their roles in hearing. Glia 2022; 70:1799-1825. [PMID: 35713516 DOI: 10.1002/glia.24229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The organ of Corti, located in the cochlea in the inner ear, is one of the major sensory organs involved in hearing. The organ of Corti consists of hair cells, glia-like supporting cells, and the cochlear nerve, which work in harmony to receive sound from the outer ear and transmit auditory signals to the cochlear nucleus in the auditory ascending pathway. In this process, maintenance of the endocochlear potential, with a high potassium gradient and clearance of electrolytes and biochemicals in the inner ear, is critical for normal sound transduction. There is an emerging need for a thorough understanding of each cell type involved in this process to understand the sophisticated mechanisms of the organ of Corti. Hair cells have long been thought to be active, playing a primary role in the cochlea in actively detecting and transmitting signals. In contrast, supporting cells are thought to be silent and function to support hair cells. However, growing lines of evidence regarding the membrane proteins that mediate ionic movement in supporting cells have demonstrated that supporting cells are not silent, but actively play important roles in normal signal transduction. In this review, we summarize studies that characterize diverse membrane proteins according to the supporting cell subtypes involved in cochlear physiology and hearing. This review contributes to a better understanding of supporting cell functions and facilitates the development of potential therapeutic tools for hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minwoo Wendy Jang
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jiwoon Lim
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.,IBS School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Mingu Gordon Park
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae-Hun Lee
- Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - C Justin Lee
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.,Center for Cognition and Sociality, Institute for Basic Science (IBS), Daejeon, Republic of Korea.,IBS School, University of Science and Technology (UST), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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8
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Tuluc P, Theiner T, Jacobo-Piqueras N, Geisler SM. Role of High Voltage-Gated Ca 2+ Channel Subunits in Pancreatic β-Cell Insulin Release. From Structure to Function. Cells 2021; 10:2004. [PMID: 34440773 PMCID: PMC8393260 DOI: 10.3390/cells10082004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The pancreatic islets of Langerhans secrete several hormones critical for glucose homeostasis. The β-cells, the major cellular component of the pancreatic islets, secrete insulin, the only hormone capable of lowering the plasma glucose concentration. The counter-regulatory hormone glucagon is secreted by the α-cells while δ-cells secrete somatostatin that via paracrine mechanisms regulates the α- and β-cell activity. These three peptide hormones are packed into secretory granules that are released through exocytosis following a local increase in intracellular Ca2+ concentration. The high voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (HVCCs) occupy a central role in pancreatic hormone release both as a source of Ca2+ required for excitation-secretion coupling as well as a scaffold for the release machinery. HVCCs are multi-protein complexes composed of the main pore-forming transmembrane α1 and the auxiliary intracellular β, extracellular α2δ, and transmembrane γ subunits. Here, we review the current understanding regarding the role of all HVCC subunits expressed in pancreatic β-cell on electrical activity, excitation-secretion coupling, and β-cell mass. The evidence we review was obtained from many seminal studies employing pharmacological approaches as well as genetically modified mouse models. The significance for diabetes in humans is discussed in the context of genetic variations in the genes encoding for the HVCC subunits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petronel Tuluc
- Centre for Molecular Biosciences, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 80/82, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria; (T.T.); (N.J.-P.); (S.M.G.)
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9
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Hardy K, Amariutei AE, De Faveri F, Hendry A, Marcotti W, Ceriani F. Functional development and regeneration of hair cells in the zebrafish lateral line. J Physiol 2021; 599:3913-3936. [PMID: 34143497 PMCID: PMC7612129 DOI: 10.1113/jp281522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Hair cells are mechanosensory receptors responsible for transducing auditory and vestibular information into electrical signals, which are then transmitted with remarkable precision to afferent neurons. Different from mammals, the hair cells of lower vertebrates, including those present in the neuromasts of the zebrafish lateral line, regenerate following environmental or chemical insults. Here we investigate the time-course of regeneration of hair cells in vivo using electrophysiology, 2-photon imaging and immunostaining applied to wild-type and genetically-encoded fluorescent indicator zebrafish lines. Functional hair cells drive spontaneous action potentials in the posterior lateral line afferent fibres, the frequency of which progressively increases over the first 10-days post-fertilization (dpf). Higher firing-rate fibres are only observed from ~6 dpf. Following copper treatment, newly formed hair cells become functional and are able to drive APs in the afferent fibres within 48 hours in both early-larval (≤8 dpf) and late-larval (12-17 dpf) zebrafish. However, the complete functional regeneration of the entire neuromast is delayed in late-larval compared to early-larval zebrafish. We propose that while individual regenerating hair cells can rapidly become active, the acquisition of fully functional neuromasts progresses faster at early-larval stages, a time when hair cells are still under development. At both ages, the afferent terminals in the regenerating neuromast appear to make initial contact with supporting cells. The ablation of the lateral line afferent neurons prevents the timely regeneration of supporting cells and hair cells. These findings indicate that the afferent system is likely to facilitate or promote the neuromast regeneration process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Hardy
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Ana E Amariutei
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | - Aenea Hendry
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Walter Marcotti
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Sheffield Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Federico Ceriani
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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10
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De Faveri F, Marcotti W, Ceriani F. Sensory adaptation at ribbon synapses in the zebrafish lateral line. J Physiol 2021; 599:3677-3696. [PMID: 34047358 PMCID: PMC7612133 DOI: 10.1113/jp281646] [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: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptation is used by sensory systems to adjust continuously their sensitivity to match changes in environmental stimuli. In the auditory and vestibular systems, the release properties of glutamate-containing vesicles at the hair-cell ribbon synapses play a crucial role in sensory adaptation, thus shaping the neural response to sustained stimulation. How ribbon synapses regulate the release of glutamate and how they modulate afferent responses in vivo is still largely unknown. Here, we have used two-photon imaging and electrophysiology to investigate the synaptic transfer characteristics of the hair cells in the context of sensory adaptation in live zebrafish. Prolonged and repeated water-jet stimulation of the hair-cell stereociliary bundles caused adaptation of the action potential firing rate elicited in the afferent neurons. By monitoring glutamate at ribbon synapses using time-lapse imaging, we identified two kinetically distinct release components: a rapid response that was exhausted within 50-100 ms and a slower and sustained response lasting the entire stimulation. After repeated stimulations, the recovery of the fast component followed a biphasic time course. Depression of glutamate release was largely responsible for the rapid firing rate adaptation recorded in the afferent neurons. However, postsynaptic Ca2+ responses had a slower recovery time course than that of glutamate release, indicating that they are also likely to contribute to the afferent firing adaptation. Hair cells also exhibited a form of adaptation during inhibitory bundle stimulations. We conclude that hair cells have optimised their synaptic machinery to encode prolonged stimuli and to maintain their sensitivity to new incoming stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Walter Marcotti
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Federico Ceriani
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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11
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Peterson AJ, Heil P. A simplified physiological model of rate-level functions of auditory-nerve fibers. Hear Res 2021; 406:108258. [PMID: 34010767 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2021.108258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Several approaches have been used to describe the rate-level functions of auditory-nerve fibers (ANFs). One approach uses descriptive models that can be fitted easily to data. Another derives rate-level functions from comprehensive physiological models of auditory peripheral processing. Here, we seek to identify the minimal set of components needed to provide a physiologically plausible account of rate-level functions. Our model consists of a first-order Boltzmann mechanoelectrical transducer function relating the instantaneous stimulus pressure to an instantaneous output, followed by a lowpass filter that eliminates the AC component, followed by an exponential synaptic transfer function relating the DC component to the mean spike rate. This is perhaps the simplest physiologically plausible model capable of accounting for rate-level functions under the assumption that the model parameters for a given ANF and stimulus frequency are level-independent. We find that the model typically accounts well for rate-level functions from cat ANFs for all stimulus frequencies. More complicated model variants having saturating synaptic transfer functions do not perform significantly better, implying the system operates far away from synaptic saturation. Rate saturation in the model is caused by saturation of the DC component of the filter output (e.g., the receptor potential), which in turn is due to the saturation of the transducer function. The maximum mean spike rate is approximately constant across ANFs, such that the slope parameter of the exponential synaptic transfer function decreases with increasing spontaneous rate. If the synaptic parameters for a given ANF are assumed to be constant across stimulus frequencies, then frequency- and level-dependent input nonlinearities are derived that are qualitatively similar to those reported in the literature. Contrary to assumptions in the literature, such nonlinearities are obtained even for ANFs having high spontaneous rates. Finally, spike-rate adaptation is examined and found to be accounted for by a decrease in the slope parameter of the synaptic transfer function over time following stimulus onset.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam J Peterson
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Peter Heil
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, Magdeburg, Germany; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences, Magdeburg, Germany.
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12
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Rutherford MA, von Gersdorff H, Goutman JD. Encoding sound in the cochlea: from receptor potential to afferent discharge. J Physiol 2021; 599:2527-2557. [PMID: 33644871 PMCID: PMC8127127 DOI: 10.1113/jp279189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribbon-class synapses in the ear achieve analog to digital transformation of a continuously graded membrane potential to all-or-none spikes. In mammals, several auditory nerve fibres (ANFs) carry information from each inner hair cell (IHC) to the brain in parallel. Heterogeneity of transmission among synapses contributes to the diversity of ANF sound-response properties. In addition to the place code for sound frequency and the rate code for sound level, there is also a temporal code. In series with cochlear amplification and frequency tuning, neural representation of temporal cues over a broad range of sound levels enables auditory comprehension in noisy multi-speaker settings. The IHC membrane time constant introduces a low-pass filter that attenuates fluctuations of the receptor potential above 1-2 kHz. The ANF spike generator adds a high-pass filter via its depolarization-rate threshold that rejects slow changes in the postsynaptic potential and its phasic response property that ensures one spike per depolarization. Synaptic transmission involves several stochastic subcellular processes between IHC depolarization and ANF spike generation, introducing delay and jitter that limits the speed and precision of spike timing. ANFs spike at a preferred phase of periodic sounds in a process called phase-locking that is limited to frequencies below a few kilohertz by both the IHC receptor potential and the jitter in synaptic transmission. During phase-locking to periodic sounds of increasing intensity, faster and facilitated activation of synaptic transmission and spike generation may be offset by presynaptic depletion of synaptic vesicles, resulting in relatively small changes in response phase. Here we review encoding of spike-timing at cochlear ribbon synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. Rutherford
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri 63110
| | - Henrique von Gersdorff
- Vollum Institute, Oregon Hearing Research Center, Oregon Health and Sciences University, Portland, Oregon 97239
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13
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Eckert P, Marchetta P, Manthey MK, Walter MH, Jovanovic S, Savitska D, Singer W, Jacob MH, Rüttiger L, Schimmang T, Milenkovic I, Pilz PKD, Knipper M. Deletion of BDNF in Pax2 Lineage-Derived Interneuron Precursors in the Hindbrain Hampers the Proportion of Excitation/Inhibition, Learning, and Behavior. Front Mol Neurosci 2021; 14:642679. [PMID: 33841098 PMCID: PMC8033028 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.642679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies indicate that deficits in the proper integration or migration of specific GABAergic precursor cells from the subpallium to the cortex can lead to severe cognitive dysfunctions and neurodevelopmental pathogenesis linked to intellectual disabilities. A different set of GABAergic precursors cells that express Pax2 migrate to hindbrain regions, targeting, for example auditory or somatosensory brainstem regions. We demonstrate that the absence of BDNF in Pax2-lineage descendants of BdnfPax2KOs causes severe cognitive disabilities. In BdnfPax2KOs, a normal number of parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PV-INs) was found in the auditory cortex (AC) and hippocampal regions, which went hand in hand with reduced PV-labeling in neuropil domains and elevated activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc/Arg3.1; here: Arc) levels in pyramidal neurons in these same regions. This immaturity in the inhibitory/excitatory balance of the AC and hippocampus was accompanied by elevated LTP, reduced (sound-induced) LTP/LTD adjustment, impaired learning, elevated anxiety, and deficits in social behavior, overall representing an autistic-like phenotype. Reduced tonic inhibitory strength and elevated spontaneous firing rates in dorsal cochlear nucleus (DCN) brainstem neurons in otherwise nearly normal hearing BdnfPax2KOs suggests that diminished fine-grained auditory-specific brainstem activity has hampered activity-driven integration of inhibitory networks of the AC in functional (hippocampal) circuits. This leads to an inability to scale hippocampal post-synapses during LTP/LTD plasticity. BDNF in Pax2-lineage descendants in lower brain regions should thus be considered as a novel candidate for contributing to the development of brain disorders, including autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Eckert
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Philine Marchetta
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marie K Manthey
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Neuroscience, Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Michael H Walter
- Department for Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sasa Jovanovic
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Daria Savitska
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Wibke Singer
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michele H Jacob
- Department of Neuroscience, Sackler School of Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Lukas Rüttiger
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Schimmang
- Instituto de Biología y Genética Molecular, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Ivan Milenkovic
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Peter K D Pilz
- Department for Animal Physiology, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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14
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Effertz T, Moser T, Oliver D. Recent advances in cochlear hair cell nanophysiology: subcellular compartmentalization of electrical signaling in compact sensory cells. Fac Rev 2021; 9:24. [PMID: 33659956 PMCID: PMC7886071 DOI: 10.12703/r/9-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, genetics, physiology, and structural biology have advanced into the molecular details of the sensory physiology of auditory hair cells. Inner hair cells (IHCs) and outer hair cells (OHCs) mediate two key functions: active amplification and non-linear compression of cochlear vibrations by OHCs and sound encoding by IHCs at their afferent synapses with the spiral ganglion neurons. OHCs and IHCs share some molecular physiology, e.g. mechanotransduction at the apical hair bundles, ribbon-type presynaptic active zones, and ionic conductances in the basolateral membrane. Unique features enabling their specific function include prestin-based electromotility of OHCs and indefatigable transmitter release at the highest known rates by ribbon-type IHC active zones. Despite their compact morphology, the molecular machineries that either generate electrical signals or are driven by these signals are essentially all segregated into local subcellular structures. This review provides a brief account on recent insights into the molecular physiology of cochlear hair cells with a specific focus on organization into membrane domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Effertz
- InnerEarLab, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099 Göttingen, Germany
- Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Multiscale Bioimaging Cluster of Excellence (MBExC), University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dominik Oliver
- Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Philipps University, Deutschhausstraße 2, 35037 Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), Universities of Marburg and Giessen, Germany
- DFG Research Training Group, Membrane Plasticity in Tissue Development and Remodelling, GRK 2213, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany
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15
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Özçete ÖD, Moser T. A sensory cell diversifies its output by varying Ca 2+ influx-release coupling among active zones. EMBO J 2020; 40:e106010. [PMID: 33346936 PMCID: PMC7917556 DOI: 10.15252/embj.2020106010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The cochlea encodes sound pressures varying over six orders of magnitude by collective operation of functionally diverse spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). The mechanisms enabling this functional diversity remain elusive. Here, we asked whether the sound intensity information, contained in the receptor potential of the presynaptic inner hair cell (IHC), is fractionated via heterogeneous synapses. We studied the transfer function of individual IHC synapses by combining patch‐clamp recordings with dual‐color Rhod‐FF and iGluSnFR imaging of presynaptic Ca2+ signals and glutamate release. Synapses differed in the voltage dependence of release: Those residing at the IHC' pillar side activated at more hyperpolarized potentials and typically showed tight control of release by few Ca2+ channels. We conclude that heterogeneity of voltage dependence and release site coupling of Ca2+ channels among the synapses varies synaptic transfer within individual IHCs and, thereby, likely contributes to the functional diversity of SGNs. The mechanism reported here might serve sensory cells and neurons more generally to diversify signaling even in close‐by synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Özge D Özçete
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center 889, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center 889, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Graduate Center for Neurosciences, Biophysics and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute of Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.,Multiscale Bioimaging Cluster of Excellence (MBExC), University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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16
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Marchetta P, Savitska D, Kübler A, Asola G, Manthey M, Möhrle D, Schimmang T, Rüttiger L, Knipper M, Singer W. Age-Dependent Auditory Processing Deficits after Cochlear Synaptopathy Depend on Auditory Nerve Latency and the Ability of the Brain to Recruit LTP/BDNF. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10100710. [PMID: 33036168 PMCID: PMC7601375 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10100710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-related decoupling of auditory nerve fibers from hair cells (cochlear synaptopathy) has been linked to temporal processing deficits and impaired speech recognition performance. The link between both is elusive. We have previously demonstrated that cochlear synaptopathy, if centrally compensated through enhanced input/output function (neural gain), can prevent age-dependent temporal discrimination loss. It was also found that central neural gain after acoustic trauma was linked to hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) and upregulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Using middle-aged and old BDNF-live-exon-visualization (BLEV) reporter mice we analyzed the specific recruitment of LTP and the activity-dependent usage of Bdnf exon-IV and -VI promoters relative to cochlear synaptopathy and central (temporal) processing. For both groups, specimens with higher or lower ability to centrally compensate diminished auditory nerve activity were found. Strikingly, low compensating mouse groups differed from high compensators by prolonged auditory nerve latency. Moreover, low compensators exhibited attenuated responses to amplitude-modulated tones, and a reduction of hippocampal LTP and Bdnf transcript levels in comparison to high compensators. These results suggest that latency of auditory nerve processing, recruitment of hippocampal LTP, and Bdnf transcription, are key factors for age-dependent auditory processing deficits, rather than cochlear synaptopathy or aging per se.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philine Marchetta
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (P.M.); (D.S.); (A.K.); (G.A.); (M.M.); (D.M.); (L.R.); (W.S.)
| | - Daria Savitska
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (P.M.); (D.S.); (A.K.); (G.A.); (M.M.); (D.M.); (L.R.); (W.S.)
| | - Angelika Kübler
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (P.M.); (D.S.); (A.K.); (G.A.); (M.M.); (D.M.); (L.R.); (W.S.)
| | - Giulia Asola
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (P.M.); (D.S.); (A.K.); (G.A.); (M.M.); (D.M.); (L.R.); (W.S.)
| | - Marie Manthey
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (P.M.); (D.S.); (A.K.); (G.A.); (M.M.); (D.M.); (L.R.); (W.S.)
| | - Dorit Möhrle
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (P.M.); (D.S.); (A.K.); (G.A.); (M.M.); (D.M.); (L.R.); (W.S.)
| | - Thomas Schimmang
- Instituto de Biologíay Genética Molecular, Universidad de Valladolid y Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, E-47003 Valladolid, Spain;
| | - Lukas Rüttiger
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (P.M.); (D.S.); (A.K.); (G.A.); (M.M.); (D.M.); (L.R.); (W.S.)
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (P.M.); (D.S.); (A.K.); (G.A.); (M.M.); (D.M.); (L.R.); (W.S.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-(0)7071-2988194; Fax: +49-(0)7071-294950
| | - Wibke Singer
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre (THRC), Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Elfriede-Aulhorn-Straße 5, 72076 Tübingen, Germany; (P.M.); (D.S.); (A.K.); (G.A.); (M.M.); (D.M.); (L.R.); (W.S.)
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17
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Marchetta P, Möhrle D, Eckert P, Reimann K, Wolter S, Tolone A, Lang I, Wolters M, Feil R, Engel J, Paquet-Durand F, Kuhn M, Knipper M, Rüttiger L. Guanylyl Cyclase A/cGMP Signaling Slows Hidden, Age- and Acoustic Trauma-Induced Hearing Loss. Front Aging Neurosci 2020; 12:83. [PMID: 32327991 PMCID: PMC7160671 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2020.00083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In the inner ear, cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) signaling has been described as facilitating otoprotection, which was previously observed through elevated cGMP levels achieved by phosphodiesterase 5 inhibition. However, to date, the upstream guanylyl cyclase (GC) subtype eliciting cGMP production is unknown. Here, we show that mice with a genetic disruption of the gene encoding the cGMP generator GC-A, the receptor for atrial and B-type natriuretic peptides, display a greater vulnerability of hair cells to hidden hearing loss and noise- and age-dependent hearing loss. This vulnerability was associated with GC-A expression in spiral ganglia and outer hair cells (OHCs) but not in inner hair cells (IHCs). GC-A knockout mice exhibited elevated hearing thresholds, most pronounced for the detection of high-frequency tones. Deficits in OHC input–output functions in high-frequency regions were already present in young GC-A-deficient mice, with no signs of an accelerated progression of age-related hearing loss or higher vulnerability to acoustic trauma. OHCs in these frequency regions in young GC-A knockout mice exhibited diminished levels of KCNQ4 expression, which is the dominant K+ channel in OHCs, and decreased activation of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1, an enzyme involved in DNA repair. Further, GC-A knockout mice had IHC synapse impairments and reduced amplitudes of auditory brainstem responses that progressed with age and with acoustic trauma, in contrast to OHCs, when compared to GC-A wild-type littermates. We conclude that GC-A/cGMP-dependent signaling pathways have otoprotective functions and GC-A gene disruption differentially contributes to hair-cell damage in a healthy, aged, or injured system. Thus, augmentation of natriuretic peptide GC-A signaling likely has potential to overcome hidden and noise-induced hearing loss, as well as presbycusis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philine Marchetta
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dorit Möhrle
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Philipp Eckert
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Katrin Reimann
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Steffen Wolter
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Arianna Tolone
- Cell Death Mechanisms Group, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Isabelle Lang
- Department of Biophysics, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Hearing Research, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Markus Wolters
- Signal Transduction and Transgenic Models, Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Robert Feil
- Signal Transduction and Transgenic Models, Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jutta Engel
- Department of Biophysics, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine, Hearing Research, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - François Paquet-Durand
- Cell Death Mechanisms Group, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, Centre for Ophthalmology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michaela Kuhn
- Institute of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lukas Rüttiger
- Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Department of Otolaryngology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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18
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Xiong W, Wei W, Qi Y, Du Z, Qu T, Liu K, Gong S. Autophagy is Required for Remodeling in Postnatal Developing Ribbon Synapses of Cochlear Inner Hair Cells. Neuroscience 2020; 431:1-16. [PMID: 32032574 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.01.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Cochlear ribbon synapses formed between inner hair cells (IHCs) and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) are immature at birth and they require dramatic morphological and functional developments to achieve auditory maturation in postnatal mice. However, the mechanism underlying this remodeling process of cochlear ribbon synapse remains elusive. Here, we report that autophagy is necessary for the development and maturation of cochlear ribbon synapses in mice. In this study, significantly high levels of LC3B (a widespread marker of autophagy) were found in the cochlea from postnatal day 1 (P1) to P15, which then decreased at P28 to P30. Treatment of mice at P7 with rapamycin or 3-methyladenine (activator and inhibitor of autophagy, respectively) for 7 days led to the significant elevations of hearing threshold across frequencies from P15 to P30. Moreover, abnormal morphology of cochlear ribbon synapses and reduced IHC exocytosis function were detected from P15 to P30, which were likely associated to hearing impairment. Thus, our study demonstrated that autophagy was required for remodeling of cochlear ribbon synapses and provided a new insight into autophagy-related hearing disorder during auditory development. Furthermore, we implicated a novel therapeutic target for sensorineural hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Xiong
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang 110004, China
| | - Yue Qi
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Zhengde Du
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Tengfei Qu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China
| | - Ke Liu
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
| | - Shusheng Gong
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100050, China.
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19
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Johnson SL, Safieddine S, Mustapha M, Marcotti W. Hair Cell Afferent Synapses: Function and Dysfunction. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med 2019; 9:a033175. [PMID: 30617058 PMCID: PMC6886459 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a033175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
To provide a meaningful representation of the auditory landscape, mammalian cochlear hair cells are optimized to detect sounds over an incredibly broad range of frequencies and intensities with unparalleled accuracy. This ability is largely conferred by specialized ribbon synapses that continuously transmit acoustic information with high fidelity and sub-millisecond precision to the afferent dendrites of the spiral ganglion neurons. To achieve this extraordinary task, ribbon synapses employ a unique combination of molecules and mechanisms that are tailored to sounds of different frequencies. Here we review the current understanding of how the hair cell's presynaptic machinery and its postsynaptic afferent connections are formed, how they mature, and how their function is adapted for an accurate perception of sound.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart L Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
| | - Saaid Safieddine
- UMRS 1120, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Université Paris 06, Complexité du Vivant, Paris, France
| | - Mirna Mustapha
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94035
| | - Walter Marcotti
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, United Kingdom
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20
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Lundt A, Soós J, Seidel R, Henseler C, Müller R, Raj Ginde V, Imran Arshaad M, Ehninger D, Hescheler J, Sachinidis A, Broich K, Wormuth C, Papazoglou A, Weiergräber M. Functional implications of Ca v 2.3 R-type voltage-gated calcium channels in the murine auditory system - novel vistas from brainstem-evoked response audiometry. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 51:1583-1604. [PMID: 31603587 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs) are considered to play a key role in auditory perception and information processing within the murine inner ear and brainstem. In the past, Cav 1.3 L-type VGCCs gathered most attention as their ablation causes congenital deafness. However, isolated patch-clamp investigation and localization studies repetitively suggested that Cav 2.3 R-type VGCCs are also expressed in the cochlea and further components of the ascending auditory tract, pointing to a potential functional role of Cav 2.3 in hearing physiology. Thus, we performed auditory profiling of Cav 2.3+/+ controls, heterozygous Cav 2.3+/- mice and Cav 2.3 null mutants (Cav 2.3-/- ) using brainstem-evoked response audiometry. Interestingly, click-evoked auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) revealed increased hearing thresholds in Cav 2.3+/- mice from both genders, whereas no alterations were observed in Cav 2.3-/- mice. Similar observations were made for tone burst-related ABRs in both genders. However, Cav 2.3 ablation seemed to prevent mutant mice from total hearing loss particularly in the higher frequency range (36-42 kHz). Amplitude growth function analysis revealed, i.a., significant reduction in ABR wave WI and WIII amplitude in mutant animals. In addition, alterations in WI -WIV interwave interval were observed in female Cav 2.3+/- mice whereas absolute latencies remained unchanged. In summary, our results demonstrate that Cav 2.3 VGCCs are mandatory for physiological auditory information processing in the ascending auditory tract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Lundt
- Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Bonn, Germany
| | - Julien Soós
- Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Bonn, Germany
| | - Robin Seidel
- Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Bonn, Germany
| | - Christina Henseler
- Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Bonn, Germany
| | - Ralf Müller
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and University Hospital Cologne, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Varun Raj Ginde
- Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Bonn, Germany
| | - Muhammad Imran Arshaad
- Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Bonn, Germany
| | - Dan Ehninger
- Molecular and Cellular Cognition, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, (Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen, DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Jürgen Hescheler
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Agapios Sachinidis
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Karl Broich
- Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Bonn, Germany
| | - Carola Wormuth
- Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Bonn, Germany
| | - Anna Papazoglou
- Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Bonn, Germany
| | - Marco Weiergräber
- Experimental Neuropsychopharmacology, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (Bundesinstitut für Arzneimittel und Medizinprodukte, BfArM), Bonn, Germany
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21
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Ca v3.2 T-Type Calcium Channels Are Physiologically Mandatory for the Auditory System. Neuroscience 2019; 409:81-100. [PMID: 31029730 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels (VGCCs) play key roles in auditory perception and information processing within the inner ear and brainstem. Pharmacological inhibition of low voltage-activated (LVA) T-type Ca2+ channels is related to both age- and noise induced hearing loss in experimental animals and may represent a promising approach to the treatment of auditory impairment of various etiologies. Within the LVA Ca2+ channel subgroup, Cav3.2 is the most prominently expressed T-type channel entity in the cochlea and auditory brainstem. Thus, we performed a complete gender specific click and tone burst based auditory brainstem response (ABR) analysis of Cav3.2+/- and Cav3.2-/- mice, including i.a. temporal progression in hearing loss, amplitude growth function and wave latency analysis as well as a cochlear qPCR based evaluation of other VGCCs transcripts. Our results, based on a self-programmed automated wavelet approach, demonstrate that both heterozygous and Cav3.2 null mutant mice exhibit age-dependent increases in hearing thresholds at 5 months of age. In addition, complex alterations in WI-IV amplitudes and latencies were detected that were not attributable to alterations in the expression of other VGCCs in the auditory tract. Our results clearly demonstrate the important physiological role of Cav3.2 VGCCs in the spatiotemporal organization of auditory processing in young adult mice and suggest potential pharmacological targets for interventions in the future.
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22
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Pangrsic T, Singer JH, Koschak A. Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels: Key Players in Sensory Coding in the Retina and the Inner Ear. Physiol Rev 2019; 98:2063-2096. [PMID: 30067155 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00030.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Calcium influx through voltage-gated Ca (CaV) channels is the first step in synaptic transmission. This review concerns CaV channels at ribbon synapses in primary sense organs and their specialization for efficient coding of stimuli in the physical environment. Specifically, we describe molecular, biochemical, and biophysical properties of the CaV channels in sensory receptor cells of the retina, cochlea, and vestibular apparatus, and we consider how such properties might change over the course of development and contribute to synaptic plasticity. We pay particular attention to factors affecting the spatial arrangement of CaV channels at presynaptic, ribbon-type active zones, because the spatial relationship between CaV channels and release sites has been shown to affect synapse function critically in a number of systems. Finally, we review identified synaptopathies affecting sensory systems and arising from dysfunction of L-type, CaV1.3, and CaV1.4 channels or their protein modulatory elements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Pangrsic
- Synaptic Physiology of Mammalian Vestibular Hair Cells Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen and Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine , Göttingen, Germany ; Department of Biology, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland ; and Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck , Austria
| | - Joshua H Singer
- Synaptic Physiology of Mammalian Vestibular Hair Cells Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen and Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine , Göttingen, Germany ; Department of Biology, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland ; and Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck , Austria
| | - Alexandra Koschak
- Synaptic Physiology of Mammalian Vestibular Hair Cells Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen and Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine , Göttingen, Germany ; Department of Biology, University of Maryland , College Park, Maryland ; and Pharmacology and Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy, University of Innsbruck , Innsbruck , Austria
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23
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Song S, Lee JA, Kiselev I, Iyengar V, Trapani JG, Tania N. Mathematical Modeling and Analyses of Interspike-Intervals of Spontaneous Activity in Afferent Neurons of the Zebrafish Lateral Line. Sci Rep 2018; 8:14851. [PMID: 30291277 PMCID: PMC6173758 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-33064-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Without stimuli, hair cells spontaneously release neurotransmitter leading to spontaneous generation of action potentials (spikes) in innervating afferent neurons. We analyzed spontaneous spike patterns recorded from the lateral line of zebrafish and found that distributions of interspike intervals (ISIs) either have an exponential shape or an "L" shape that is characterized by a sharp decay but wide tail. ISI data were fitted to renewal-process models that accounted for the neuron refractory periods and hair-cell synaptic release. Modeling the timing of synaptic release using a mixture of two exponential distributions yielded the best fit for our ISI data. Additionally, lateral line ISIs displayed positive serial correlation and appeared to exhibit switching between faster and slower modes of spike generation. This pattern contrasts with previous findings from the auditory system where ISIs tended to have negative serial correlation due to synaptic depletion. We propose that afferent neuron innervation with multiple and heterogenous hair-cells synapses, each influenced by changes in calcium domains, can serve as a mechanism for the random switching behavior. Overall, our analyses provide evidence of how physiological similarities and differences between synapses and innervation patterns in the auditory, vestibular, and lateral line systems can lead to variations in spontaneous activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sangmin Song
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Program, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
| | - Ji Ah Lee
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Smith College, Northampton, MA, 01063, USA
| | - Ilya Kiselev
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Program, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
| | - Varun Iyengar
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Program, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
| | - Josef G Trapani
- Department of Biology and Neuroscience Program, Amherst College, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
| | - Nessy Tania
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Smith College, Northampton, MA, 01063, USA.
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24
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Wolter S, Möhrle D, Schmidt H, Pfeiffer S, Zelle D, Eckert P, Krämer M, Feil R, Pilz PKD, Knipper M, Rüttiger L. GC-B Deficient Mice With Axon Bifurcation Loss Exhibit Compromised Auditory Processing. Front Neural Circuits 2018; 12:65. [PMID: 30275816 PMCID: PMC6152484 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2018.00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory axon T-like branching (bifurcation) in neurons from dorsal root ganglia and cranial sensory ganglia depends on the molecular signaling cascade involving the secreted factor C-type natriuretic peptide, the natriuretic peptide receptor guanylyl cyclase B (GC-B; also known as Npr2) and cGMP-dependent protein kinase I (cGKI, also known as PKGI). The bifurcation of cranial nerves is suggested to be important for information processing by second-order neurons in the hindbrain or spinal cord. Indeed, mice with a spontaneous GC-B loss of function mutation (Npr2cn/cn ) display an impaired bifurcation of auditory nerve (AN) fibers. However, these mice did not show any obvious sign of impaired basal hearing. Here, we demonstrate that mice with a targeted inactivation of the GC-B gene (Npr2 lacZ/lacZ , GC-B KO mice) show an elevation of audiometric thresholds. In the inner ear, the cochlear hair cells in GC-B KO mice were nevertheless similar to those from wild type mice, justified by the typical expression of functionally relevant marker proteins. However, efferent cholinergic feedback to inner and outer hair cells was reduced in GC-B KO mice, linked to very likely reduced rapid efferent feedback. Sound-evoked AN responses of GC-B KO mice were elevated, a feature that is known to occur when the efferent axo-dendritic feedback on AN is compromised. Furthermore, late sound-evoked brainstem responses were significantly delayed in GC-B KO mice. This delay in sound response was accompanied by a weaker sensitivity of the auditory steady state response to amplitude-modulated sound stimuli. Finally, the acoustic startle response (ASR) - one of the fastest auditory responses - and the prepulse inhibition of the ASR indicated significant changes in temporal precision of auditory processing. These findings suggest that GC-B-controlled axon bifurcation of spiral ganglion neurons is important for proper activation of second-order neurons in the hindbrain and is a prerequisite for proper temporal auditory processing likely by establishing accurate efferent top-down control circuits. These data hypothesize that the bifurcation pattern of cranial nerves is important to shape spatial and temporal information processing for sensory feedback control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen Wolter
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dorit Möhrle
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Hannes Schmidt
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sylvia Pfeiffer
- Department of Animal Physiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Dennis Zelle
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Physiological Acoustics and Communication, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Philipp Eckert
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Michael Krämer
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Robert Feil
- Interfaculty Institute of Biochemistry, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Peter K D Pilz
- Department of Animal Physiology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lukas Rüttiger
- Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Molecular Physiology of Hearing, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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25
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Voltage-Gated Calcium Influx Modifies Cholinergic Inhibition of Inner Hair Cells in the Immature Rat Cochlea. J Neurosci 2018; 38:5677-5687. [PMID: 29789373 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0230-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2018] [Revised: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Until postnatal day (P) 12, inner hair cells of the rat cochlea are invested with both afferent and efferent synaptic connections. With the onset of hearing at P12, the efferent synapses disappear, and afferent (ribbon) synapses operate with greater efficiency. This change coincides with increased expression of voltage-gated potassium channels, the loss of calcium-dependent electrogenesis, and the onset of graded receptor potentials driven by sound. The transient efferent synapses include near-membrane postsynaptic cisterns thought to regulate calcium influx through the hair cell's α9-containing and α10-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. This influx activates small-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (SK) channels. Serial-section electron microscopy of inner hair cells from two 9-d-old (male) rat pups revealed many postsynaptic efferent cisterns and presynaptic afferent ribbons whose average minimal separation in five cells ranged from 1.1 to 1.7 μm. Efferent synaptic function was studied in rat pups (age, 7-9 d) of either sex. The duration of these SK channel-mediated IPSCs was increased by enhanced calcium influx through L-type voltage-gated channels, combined with ryanodine-sensitive release from internal stores-presumably the near-membrane postsynaptic cistern. These data support the possibility that inner hair cell calcium electrogenesis modulates the efficacy of efferent inhibition during the maturation of inner hair cell synapses.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Strict calcium buffering is essential for cellular function. This problem is especially acute for compact hair cells where increasing cytoplasmic calcium promotes the opposing functions of closely adjoining afferent and efferent synapses. The near-membrane postsynaptic cistern at efferent synapses segregates synaptic calcium signals by acting as a dynamic calcium store. The hair cell serves as an informative model for synapses with postsynaptic cisterns (C synapses) found in central neurons.
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26
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Neef J, Urban NT, Ohn TL, Frank T, Jean P, Hell SW, Willig KI, Moser T. Quantitative optical nanophysiology of Ca 2+ signaling at inner hair cell active zones. Nat Commun 2018; 9:290. [PMID: 29348575 PMCID: PMC5773603 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02612-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Ca2+ influx triggers the release of synaptic vesicles at the presynaptic active zone (AZ). A quantitative characterization of presynaptic Ca2+ signaling is critical for understanding synaptic transmission. However, this has remained challenging to establish at the required resolution. Here, we employ confocal and stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy to quantify the number (20-330) and arrangement (mostly linear 70 nm × 100-600 nm clusters) of Ca2+ channels at AZs of mouse cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs). Establishing STED Ca2+ imaging, we analyze presynaptic Ca2+ signals at the nanometer scale and find confined elongated Ca2+ domains at normal IHC AZs, whereas Ca2+ domains are spatially spread out at the AZs of bassoon-deficient IHCs. Performing 2D-STED fluorescence lifetime analysis, we arrive at estimates of the Ca2+ concentrations at stimulated IHC AZs of on average 25 µM. We propose that IHCs form bassoon-dependent presynaptic Ca2+-channel clusters of similar density but scalable length, thereby varying the number of Ca2+ channels amongst individual AZs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Neef
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099, Göttingen, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center 889, University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.,Bernstein Focus for Neurotechnology, University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.,Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nicolai T Urban
- Department of Nanobiophotonics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077, Göttingen, Germany. .,Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099 Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Tzu-Lun Ohn
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099, Göttingen, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center 889, University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.,Bernstein Focus for Neurotechnology, University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Frank
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099, Göttingen, Germany.,Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research, 4058, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Jean
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stefan W Hell
- Department of Nanobiophotonics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.,Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Katrin I Willig
- Collaborative Research Center 889, University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany. .,Department of Nanobiophotonics, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077, Göttingen, Germany. .,Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099 Göttingen, Germany. .,Optical Nanoscopy in Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099, Göttingen, Germany.
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099, Göttingen, Germany. .,Collaborative Research Center 889, University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany. .,Bernstein Focus for Neurotechnology, University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany. .,Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, 37077, Göttingen, Germany. .,Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center Göttingen, 37099 Göttingen, Germany. .,Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany.
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27
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Jean P, Lopez de la Morena D, Michanski S, Jaime Tobón LM, Chakrabarti R, Picher MM, Neef J, Jung S, Gültas M, Maxeiner S, Neef A, Wichmann C, Strenzke N, Grabner C, Moser T. The synaptic ribbon is critical for sound encoding at high rates and with temporal precision. eLife 2018; 7:29275. [PMID: 29328020 PMCID: PMC5794258 DOI: 10.7554/elife.29275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied the role of the synaptic ribbon for sound encoding at the synapses between inner hair cells (IHCs) and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) in mice lacking RIBEYE (RBEKO/KO). Electron and immunofluorescence microscopy revealed a lack of synaptic ribbons and an assembly of several small active zones (AZs) at each synaptic contact. Spontaneous and sound-evoked firing rates of SGNs and their compound action potential were reduced, indicating impaired transmission at ribbonless IHC-SGN synapses. The temporal precision of sound encoding was impaired and the recovery of SGN-firing from adaptation indicated slowed synaptic vesicle (SV) replenishment. Activation of Ca2+-channels was shifted to more depolarized potentials and exocytosis was reduced for weak depolarizations. Presynaptic Ca2+-signals showed a broader spread, compatible with the altered Ca2+-channel clustering observed by super-resolution immunofluorescence microscopy. We postulate that RIBEYE disruption is partially compensated by multi-AZ organization. The remaining synaptic deficit indicates ribbon function in SV-replenishment and Ca2+-channel regulation. Our sense of hearing relies on our ears quickly and tirelessly processing information in a precise manner. Sounds cause vibrations in a part of the inner ear called the cochlea. Inside the cochlea, the vibrations move hair-like structures on sensory cells that translate these movements into electrical signals. These hair cells are connected to specialized nerve cells that relay the signals to the brain, which then interprets them as sounds. Hair cells communicate with the specialized nerve cells via connections known as chemical synapses. This means that the electrical signals in the hair cell activate channel proteins that allow calcium ions to flow in. This in turn triggers membrane-bound packages called vesicles inside the hair cell to fuse with its surface membrane and release their contents to the outside. The contents, namely chemicals called neurotransmitters, then travels across the space between the cells, relaying the signal to the nerve cell. The junctions between the hair cells and the nerve cells are more specifically known as ribbon synapses. This is because they have a ribbon-like structure that appears to tether a halo of vesicles close to the active zone where neurotransmitters are released. However, the exact role of this synaptic ribbon has remained mysterious despite decades of study. The ribbon is mainly composed of a protein called Ribeye, and now Jean, Lopez de la Morena, Michanski, Jaime Tobón et al. show that mutant mice that lack this protein do not have any ribbons at their “ribbon synapses”. Hair cells without synaptic ribbons are less able to timely and reliably send signals to the nerve cells, most likely because they cannot replenish the vesicles at the synapse quickly enough. Further analysis showed that the synaptic ribbon also helps to regulate the calcium channels at the synapse, which is important for linking the electrical signals in the hair cell to the release of the neurotransmitters. Jean et al. also saw that hair cells without ribbons reorganize their synapses to form multiple active zones that could transfer neurotransmitter to the nerve cells. This could partially compensate for the loss of the ribbons, meaning the impact of their loss may have been underestimated. Future studies could explore this by eliminating the Ribeye protein only after the ribbon synapses are fully formed. These findings may help scientists to better understand deafness and other hearing disorders in humans. They will also be of interest to neuroscientists who research synapses, hearing and other sensory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Jean
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - David Lopez de la Morena
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Susann Michanski
- Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Molecular Architecture of Synapses Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Lina María Jaime Tobón
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rituparna Chakrabarti
- Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Göttingen Graduate School for Neurosciences and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Molecular Architecture of Synapses Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Maria Magdalena Picher
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Jakob Neef
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
| | - SangYong Jung
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Neuro Modulation and Neuro Circuitry Group, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC), Biomedical Sciences Institutes, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mehmet Gültas
- Department of Breeding Informatics, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Stephan Maxeiner
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of the Saarland, Homburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Neef
- Bernstein Group Biophysics of Neural Computation, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Carolin Wichmann
- Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Molecular Architecture of Synapses Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Institute for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nicola Strenzke
- Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Systems Physiology Group, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Chad Grabner
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,InnerEarLab, Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.,Auditory Neuroscience Group, Max Planck Institute for Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany.,Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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28
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Alternative Splicing of L-type Ca V1.2 Calcium Channels: Implications in Cardiovascular Diseases. Genes (Basel) 2017; 8:genes8120344. [PMID: 29186814 PMCID: PMC5748662 DOI: 10.3390/genes8120344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 11/09/2017] [Accepted: 11/21/2017] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
L-type CaV1.2 calcium channels are the major pathway for Ca2+ influx to initiate the contraction of smooth and cardiac muscles. Alteration of CaV1.2 channel function has been implicated in multiple cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension and cardiac hypertrophy. Alternative splicing is a post-transcriptional mechanism that expands CaV1.2 channel structures to modify function, pharmacological and biophysical property such as calcium/voltage-dependent inactivation (C/VDI), or to influence its post-translational modulation by interacting proteins such as Galectin-1. Alternative splicing has generated functionally diverse CaV1.2 isoforms that can be developmentally regulated in the heart, or under pathophysiological conditions such as in heart failure. More importantly, alternative splicing of certain exons of CaV1.2 has been reported to be regulated by splicing factors such as RNA-binding Fox-1 homolog 1/2 (Rbfox 1/2), polypyrimidine tract-binding protein (PTBP1) and RNA-binding motif protein 20 (RBM20). Understanding how CaV1.2 channel function is remodelled in disease will provide better information to guide the development of more targeted approaches to discover therapeutic agents for cardiovascular diseases.
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Krinner S, Butola T, Jung S, Wichmann C, Moser T. RIM-Binding Protein 2 Promotes a Large Number of Ca V1.3 Ca 2+-Channels and Contributes to Fast Synaptic Vesicle Replenishment at Hair Cell Active Zones. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:334. [PMID: 29163046 PMCID: PMC5673845 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ribbon synapses of inner hair cells (IHCs) mediate high rates of synchronous exocytosis to indefatigably track the stimulating sound with sub-millisecond precision. The sophisticated molecular machinery of the inner hair cell active zone realizes this impressive performance by enabling a large number of synaptic voltage-gated CaV1.3 Ca2+-channels, their tight coupling to synaptic vesicles (SVs) and fast replenishment of fusion competent SVs. Here we studied the role of RIM-binding protein 2 (RIM-BP2)—a multidomain cytomatrix protein known to directly interact with Rab3 interacting molecules (RIMs), bassoon and CaV1.3—that is present at the inner hair cell active zones. We combined confocal and stimulated emission depletion (STED) immunofluorescence microscopy, electron tomography, patch-clamp and confocal Ca2+-imaging, as well as auditory systems physiology to explore the morphological and functional effects of genetic RIM-BP2 disruption in constitutive RIM-BP2 knockout mice. We found that RIM-BP2 (1) positively regulates the number of synaptic CaV1.3 channels and thereby facilitates synaptic vesicle release and (2) supports fast synaptic vesicle recruitment after readily releasable pool (RRP) depletion. However, Ca2+-influx—exocytosis coupling seemed unaltered for readily releasable SVs. Recordings of auditory brainstem responses (ABR) and of single auditory nerve fiber firing showed that RIM-BP2 disruption results in a mild deficit of synaptic sound encoding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Krinner
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,IMPRS Molecular Biology, Göttingen Graduate School for Neuroscience and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tanvi Butola
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,IMPRS Neuroscience, Göttingen Graduate School for Neuroscience and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany
| | - SangYong Jung
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.,DFG-Research Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Neuromodulation and Neurocircuitry Group, Singapore Bioimaging Consortium (SBIC), Biomedical Sciences Institutes (BMSI), Agency for Science Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Carolin Wichmann
- Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Molecular Architecture of Synapses Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Center for Biostructural Imaging of Neurodegeneration, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Tobias Moser
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Collaborative Research Center, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,IMPRS Molecular Biology, Göttingen Graduate School for Neuroscience and Molecular Biosciences, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany.,Synaptic Nanophysiology Group, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Göttingen, Germany.,DFG-Research Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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Möhrle D, Reimann K, Wolter S, Wolters M, Varakina K, Mergia E, Eichert N, Geisler HS, Sandner P, Ruth P, Friebe A, Feil R, Zimmermann U, Koesling D, Knipper M, Rüttiger L. NO-Sensitive Guanylate Cyclase Isoforms NO-GC1 and NO-GC2 Contribute to Noise-Induced Inner Hair Cell Synaptopathy. Mol Pharmacol 2017; 92:375-388. [DOI: 10.1124/mol.117.108548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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The Coupling between Ca 2+ Channels and the Exocytotic Ca 2+ Sensor at Hair Cell Ribbon Synapses Varies Tonotopically along the Mature Cochlea. J Neurosci 2017; 37:2471-2484. [PMID: 28154149 PMCID: PMC5354352 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2867-16.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2016] [Revised: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The cochlea processes auditory signals over a wide range of frequencies and intensities. However, the transfer characteristics at hair cell ribbon synapses are still poorly understood at different frequency locations along the cochlea. Using recordings from mature gerbils, we report here a surprisingly strong block of exocytosis by the slow Ca2+ buffer EGTA (10 mM) in basal hair cells tuned to high frequencies (∼30 kHz). In addition, using recordings from gerbil, mouse, and bullfrog auditory organs, we find that the spatial coupling between Ca2+ influx and exocytosis changes from nanodomain in low-frequency tuned hair cells (∼<2 kHz) to progressively more microdomain in high-frequency cells (∼>2 kHz). Hair cell synapses have thus developed remarkable frequency-dependent tuning of exocytosis: accurate low-latency encoding of onset and offset of sound intensity in the cochlea's base and submillisecond encoding of membrane receptor potential fluctuations in the apex for precise phase-locking to sound signals. We also found that synaptic vesicle pool recovery from depletion was sensitive to high concentrations of EGTA, suggesting that intracellular Ca2+ buffers play an important role in vesicle recruitment in both low- and high-frequency hair cells. In conclusion, our results indicate that microdomain coupling is important for exocytosis in high-frequency hair cells, suggesting a novel hypothesis for why these cells are more susceptible to sound-induced damage than low-frequency cells; high-frequency inner hair cells must have a low Ca2+ buffer capacity to sustain exocytosis, thus making them more prone to Ca2+-induced cytotoxicity. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In the inner ear, sensory hair cells signal reception of sound. They do this by converting the sound-induced movement of their hair bundles present at the top of these cells, into an electrical current. This current depolarizes the hair cell and triggers the calcium-induced release of the neurotransmitter glutamate that activates the postsynaptic auditory fibers. The speed and precision of this process enables the brain to perceive the vital components of sound, such as frequency and intensity. We show that the coupling strength between calcium channels and the exocytosis calcium sensor at inner hair cell synapses changes along the mammalian cochlea such that the timing and/or intensity of sound is encoded with high precision.
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Excessive activation of ionotropic glutamate receptors induces apoptotic hair-cell death independent of afferent and efferent innervation. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41102. [PMID: 28112265 PMCID: PMC5255535 DOI: 10.1038/srep41102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Accumulation of excess glutamate plays a central role in eliciting the pathological events that follow intensely loud noise exposures and ischemia-reperfusion injury. Glutamate excitotoxicity has been characterized in cochlear nerve terminals, but much less is known about whether excess glutamate signaling also contributes to pathological changes in sensory hair cells. I therefore examined whether glutamate excitotoxicity damages hair cells in zebrafish larvae exposed to drugs that mimic excitotoxic trauma. Exposure to ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR) agonists, kainic acid (KA) or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), contributed to significant, progressive hair cell loss in zebrafish lateral-line organs. To examine whether hair-cell loss was a secondary effect of excitotoxic damage to innervating neurons, I exposed neurog1a morphants-fish whose hair-cell organs are devoid of afferent and efferent innervation-to KA or NMDA. Significant, dose-dependent hair-cell loss occurred in neurog1a morphants exposed to either agonist, and the loss was comparable to wild-type siblings. A survey of iGluR gene expression revealed AMPA-, Kainate-, and NMDA-type subunits are expressed in zebrafish hair cells. Finally, hair cells exposed to KA or NMDA appear to undergo apoptotic cell death. Cumulatively, these data reveal that excess glutamate signaling through iGluRs induces hair-cell death independent of damage to postsynaptic terminals.
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33
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Heil P, Peterson AJ. Spike timing in auditory-nerve fibers during spontaneous activity and phase locking. Synapse 2016; 71:5-36. [DOI: 10.1002/syn.21925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2015] [Revised: 07/20/2016] [Accepted: 07/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Heil
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology; Magdeburg 39118 Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences; Magdeburg Germany
| | - Adam J. Peterson
- Department of Systems Physiology of Learning; Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology; Magdeburg 39118 Germany
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Möhrle D, Ni K, Varakina K, Bing D, Lee SC, Zimmermann U, Knipper M, Rüttiger L. Loss of auditory sensitivity from inner hair cell synaptopathy can be centrally compensated in the young but not old brain. Neurobiol Aging 2016; 44:173-184. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Revised: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 05/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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35
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Calcium-Induced calcium release during action potential firing in developing inner hair cells. Biophys J 2016; 108:1003-12. [PMID: 25762313 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2014.11.3489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Revised: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 11/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In the mature auditory system, inner hair cells (IHCs) convert sound-induced vibrations into electrical signals that are relayed to the central nervous system via auditory afferents. Before the cochlea can respond to normal sound levels, developing IHCs fire calcium-based action potentials that disappear close to the onset of hearing. Action potential firing triggers transmitter release from the immature IHC that in turn generates experience-independent firing in auditory neurons. These early signaling events are thought to be essential for the organization and development of the auditory system and hair cells. A critical component of the action potential is the rise in intracellular calcium that activates both small conductance potassium channels essential during membrane repolarization, and triggers transmitter release from the cell. Whether this calcium signal is generated by calcium influx or requires calcium-induced calcium release (CICR) is not yet known. IHCs can generate CICR, but to date its physiological role has remained unclear. Here, we used high and low concentrations of ryanodine to block or enhance CICR to determine whether calcium release from intracellular stores affected action potential waveform, interspike interval, or changes in membrane capacitance during development of mouse IHCs. Blocking CICR resulted in mixed action potential waveforms with both brief and prolonged oscillations in membrane potential and intracellular calcium. This mixed behavior is captured well by our mathematical model of IHC electrical activity. We perform two-parameter bifurcation analysis of the model that predicts the dependence of IHCs firing patterns on the level of activation of two parameters, the SK2 channels activation and CICR rate. Our data show that CICR forms an important component of the calcium signal that shapes action potentials and regulates firing patterns, but is not involved directly in triggering exocytosis. These data provide important insights into the calcium signaling mechanisms involved in early developmental processes.
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36
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RIM1/2-Mediated Facilitation of Cav1.4 Channel Opening Is Required for Ca2+-Stimulated Release in Mouse Rod Photoreceptors. J Neurosci 2015; 35:13133-47. [PMID: 26400943 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0658-15.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Night blindness can result from impaired photoreceptor function and a subset of cases have been linked to dysfunction of Cav1.4 calcium channels and in turn compromised synaptic transmission. Here, we show that active zone proteins RIM1/2 are important regulators of Cav1.4 channel function in mouse rod photoreceptors and thus synaptic activity. The conditional double knock-out (cdko) of RIM1 and RIM2 from rods starting a few weeks after birth did not change Cav1.4 protein expression at rod ribbon synapses nor was the morphology of the ribbon altered. Heterologous overexpression of RIM2 with Cav1.4 had no significant influence on current density when examined with BaCl2 as the charge carrier. Nonetheless, whole-cell voltage-clamp recordings from cdko rods revealed a profound reduction in Ca(2+) currents. Concomitantly, we observed a 4-fold reduction in spontaneous miniature release events from the cdko rod terminals and an almost complete absence of evoked responses when monitoring changes in membrane incorporation after strong step depolarizations. Under control conditions, 49 and 83 vesicles were released with 0.2 and 1 s depolarizations, respectively, which is close to the maximal number of vesicles estimated to be docked at the base of the ribbon active zone, but without RIM1/2, only a few vesicles were stimulated for release after a 1 s stimulation. In conclusion, our study shows that RIM1/2 potently enhance the influx of Ca(2+) into rod terminals through Cav1.4 channels, which is vitally important for the release of vesicles from the rod ribbon. Significance statement: Active zone scaffolding proteins are thought to bring multiple components involved in Ca(2+)-dependent exocytosis into functional interactions. We show that removal of scaffolding proteins RIM1/2 from rod photoreceptor ribbon synapses causes a dramatic loss of Ca(2+) influx through Cav1.4 channels and a correlated reduction in evoked release, yet the channels remain localized to synaptic ribbons in a normal fashion. Our findings strongly argue that RIM1/2 facilitate Ca(2+) entry and in turn Ca(2+) evoked release by modulating Cav1.4 channel openings; however, RIM1/2 are not needed for the retention of Cav1.4 at the synapse. In summary, a key function of RIM1/2 at rod ribbons is to enhance Cav1.4 channel activity, possibly through direct or indirect modulation of the channel.
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Sundaresan S, Kong JH, Fang Q, Salles FT, Wangsawihardja F, Ricci AJ, Mustapha M. Thyroid hormone is required for pruning, functioning and long-term maintenance of afferent inner hair cell synapses. Eur J Neurosci 2015; 43:148-61. [PMID: 26386265 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2015] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Functional maturation of afferent synaptic connections to inner hair cells (IHCs) involves pruning of excess synapses formed during development, as well as the strengthening and survival of the retained synapses. These events take place during the thyroid hormone (TH)-critical period of cochlear development, which is in the perinatal period for mice and in the third trimester for humans. Here, we used the hypothyroid Snell dwarf mouse (Pit1(dw)) as a model to study the role of TH in afferent type I synaptic refinement and functional maturation. We observed defects in afferent synaptic pruning and delays in calcium channel clustering in the IHCs of Pit1(dw) mice. Nevertheless, calcium currents and capacitance reached near normal levels in Pit1(dw) IHCs by the age of onset of hearing, despite the excess number of retained synapses. We restored normal synaptic pruning in Pit1(dw) IHCs by supplementing with TH from postnatal day (P)3 to P8, establishing this window as being critical for TH action on this process. Afferent terminals of older Pit1(dw) IHCs showed evidence of excitotoxic damage accompanied by a concomitant reduction in the levels of the glial glutamate transporter, GLAST. Our results indicate that a lack of TH during a critical period of inner ear development causes defects in pruning and long-term homeostatic maintenance of afferent synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srividya Sundaresan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room R111A, Stanford, CA, 94035, USA
| | - Jee-Hyun Kong
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room R111A, Stanford, CA, 94035, USA
| | - Qing Fang
- Department of Human Genetics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Felipe T Salles
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room R111A, Stanford, CA, 94035, USA
| | - Felix Wangsawihardja
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room R111A, Stanford, CA, 94035, USA
| | - Anthony J Ricci
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room R111A, Stanford, CA, 94035, USA
| | - Mirna Mustapha
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Stanford University, 300 Pasteur Drive, Room R111A, Stanford, CA, 94035, USA
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38
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Van Hook MJ, Thoreson WB. Weak endogenous Ca2+ buffering supports sustained synaptic transmission by distinct mechanisms in rod and cone photoreceptors in salamander retina. Physiol Rep 2015; 3:3/9/e12567. [PMID: 26416977 PMCID: PMC4600400 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.12567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Differences in synaptic transmission between rod and cone photoreceptors contribute to different response kinetics in rod- versus cone-dominated visual pathways. We examined Ca2+ dynamics in synaptic terminals of tiger salamander photoreceptors under conditions that mimicked endogenous buffering to determine the influence on kinetically and mechanistically distinct components of synaptic transmission. Measurements of ICl(Ca) confirmed that endogenous Ca2+ buffering is equivalent to ˜0.05 mmol/L EGTA in rod and cone terminals. Confocal imaging showed that with such buffering, depolarization stimulated large, spatially unconstrained [Ca2+] increases that spread throughout photoreceptor terminals. We calculated immediately releasable pool (IRP) size and release efficiency in rods by deconvolving excitatory postsynaptic currents and presynaptic Ca2+ currents. Peak efficiency of ˜0.2 vesicles/channel was similar to that of cones (˜0.3 vesicles/channel). Efficiency in both cell types was not significantly affected by using weak endogenous Ca2+ buffering. However, weak Ca2+ buffering speeded Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent replenishment of vesicles to ribbons in both rods and cones, thereby enhancing sustained release. In rods, weak Ca2+ buffering also amplified sustained release by enhancing CICR and CICR-stimulated release of vesicles at nonribbon sites. By contrast, elevating [Ca2+] at nonribbon sites in cones with weak Ca2+ buffering and by inhibiting Ca2+ extrusion did not trigger additional release, consistent with the notion that exocytosis from cones occurs exclusively at ribbons. The presence of weak endogenous Ca2+ buffering in rods and cones facilitates slow, sustained exocytosis by enhancing Ca2+/CaM-dependent replenishment of ribbons in both rods and cones and by stimulating nonribbon release triggered by CICR in rods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Van Hook
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Wallace B Thoreson
- Truhlsen Eye Institute and Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska Department of Pharmacology & Experimental Neuroscience, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska
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Shi L, Guo X, Shen P, Liu L, Tao S, Li X, Song Q, Yu Z, Yin S, Wang J. Noise-induced damage to ribbon synapses without permanent threshold shifts in neonatal mice. Neuroscience 2015; 304:368-77. [PMID: 26232715 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.07.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2015] [Revised: 07/22/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Recently, ribbon synapses to the hair cells (HCs) in the cochlea have become a novel site of interest in the investigation of noise-induced cochlear lesions in adult rodents (Kujawa and Liberman, 2009; Lin et al., 2011; Liu et al., 2012; Shi et al., 2013). Permanent noise-induced damage to this type of synapse can result in subsequent degeneration of spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) in the absence of permanent changes to hearing sensitivity. To verify whether noise exposure during an early developmental period produces a similar impact on ribbon synapses, the present study examined the damaging effects of noise exposure in neonatal Kunming mice. The animals received exposure to broadband noise at 105-decibel (dB) sound pressure level (SPL) for 2h on either postnatal day 10 (P10d) or postnatal day 14 (P14d), and then hearing function (based on the auditory brainstem response (ABR)) and cochlear morphology were evaluated during either postnatal weeks 3-4 (P4w) or postnatal weeks 7-8 (P8w). There were no significant differences in the hearing threshold between noise-exposed and control animals, which suggests that noise did not cause permanent loss of hearing sensitivity. However, noise exposure did produce a significant loss of ribbon synapses, particularly in P14d mice, which continued to increase from P4w to P8w. Additionally, a corresponding reduction in the amplitude of compound action potential (CAP) was observed in the noise-exposed groups at P4w and P8w, and the CAP latency was elongated, indicating a change in synaptic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Shi
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Southeast University, 87 Dingjiaoqiao Road, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - X Guo
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Southeast University, 87 Dingjiaoqiao Road, Nanjing 210009, China; Children's Medical Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 262 Zhongshan Road North, Nanjing 210003, China.
| | - P Shen
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Southeast University, 87 Dingjiaoqiao Road, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - L Liu
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Southeast University, 87 Dingjiaoqiao Road, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - S Tao
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Southeast University, 87 Dingjiaoqiao Road, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - X Li
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Southeast University, 87 Dingjiaoqiao Road, Nanjing 210009, China.
| | - Q Song
- Department of Otolaryngology, 6th Affiliated Hospital, Jiaotong University, 600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, China.
| | - Z Yu
- School of Human Communication Disorders, Dalhousie University, 1256 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS B3J1Y6, Canada.
| | - S Yin
- Department of Otolaryngology, 6th Affiliated Hospital, Jiaotong University, 600 Yishan Road, Shanghai 200233, China.
| | - J Wang
- Department of Physiology, Medical College of Southeast University, 87 Dingjiaoqiao Road, Nanjing 210009, China; School of Human Communication Disorders, Dalhousie University, 1256 Barrington Street, Halifax, NS B3J1Y6, Canada.
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Wichmann C, Moser T. Relating structure and function of inner hair cell ribbon synapses. Cell Tissue Res 2015; 361:95-114. [PMID: 25874597 PMCID: PMC4487357 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-014-2102-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2014] [Accepted: 12/18/2014] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
In the mammalian cochlea, sound is encoded at synapses between inner hair cells (IHCs) and type I spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs). Each SGN receives input from a single IHC ribbon-type active zone (AZ) and yet SGNs indefatigably spike up to hundreds of Hz to encode acoustic stimuli with submillisecond precision. Accumulating evidence indicates a highly specialized molecular composition and structure of the presynapse, adapted to suit these high functional demands. However, we are only beginning to understand key features such as stimulus-secretion coupling, exocytosis mechanisms, exo-endocytosis coupling, modes of endocytosis and vesicle reformation, as well as replenishment of the readily releasable pool. Relating structure and function has become an important avenue in addressing these points and has been applied to normal and genetically manipulated hair cell synapses. Here, we review some of the exciting new insights gained from recent studies of the molecular anatomy and physiology of IHC ribbon synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- C. Wichmann
- Molecular Architecture of Synapses Group, Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Collaborative Research Center 889, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - T. Moser
- Collaborative Research Center 889, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Institute for Auditory Neuroscience and InnerEarLab, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Center for Nanoscale Microscopy and Molecular Physiology of the Brain, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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41
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Magistretti J, Spaiardi P, Johnson SL, Masetto S. Elementary properties of Ca(2+) channels and their influence on multivesicular release and phase-locking at auditory hair cell ribbon synapses. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:123. [PMID: 25904847 PMCID: PMC4389406 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 03/17/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Voltage-gated calcium (Cav1.3) channels in mammalian inner hair cells (IHCs) open in response to sound and the resulting Ca2+ entry triggers the release of the neurotransmitter glutamate onto afferent terminals. At low to mid sound frequencies cell depolarization follows the sound sinusoid and pulses of transmitter release from the hair cell generate excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in the afferent fiber that translate into a phase-locked pattern of action potential activity. The present article summarizes our current understanding on the elementary properties of single IHC Ca2+ channels, and how these could have functional implications for certain, poorly understood, features of synaptic transmission at auditory hair cell ribbon synapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacopo Magistretti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Lazzaro Spallanzani", University of Pavia Pavia, Italy
| | - Paolo Spaiardi
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia Pavia, Italy
| | - Stuart L Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield Sheffield, UK
| | - Sergio Masetto
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia Pavia, Italy
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Quantitative analysis linking inner hair cell voltage changes and postsynaptic conductance change: a modelling study. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:626971. [PMID: 25654117 PMCID: PMC4299359 DOI: 10.1155/2015/626971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2014] [Revised: 08/20/2014] [Accepted: 09/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
This paper presents a computational model which estimates the postsynaptic conductance change of mammalian Type I afferent peripheral process when airborne acoustic waves impact on the tympanic membrane. A model of the human auditory periphery is used to estimate the inner hair cell potential change in response to airborne sound. A generic and tunable topology of the mammalian synaptic ribbon is generated and the voltage dependence of its substructures is used to calculate discrete and probabilistic neurotransmitter vesicle release. Results suggest an almost linear relationship between increasing sound level (in dB SPL) and the postsynaptic conductance for frequencies considered too high for neurons to phase lock with (i.e., a few kHz). Furthermore coordinated vesicle release is shown for up to 300–400 Hz and a mechanism of phase shifting the subharmonic content of a stimulating signal is suggested. Model outputs suggest that strong onset response and highly synchronised multivesicular release rely on compound fusion of ribbon tethered vesicles.
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43
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Exocytotic machineries of vestibular type I and cochlear ribbon synapses display similar intrinsic otoferlin-dependent Ca2+ sensitivity but a different coupling to Ca2+ channels. J Neurosci 2014; 34:10853-69. [PMID: 25122888 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0947-14.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The hair cell ribbon synapses of the mammalian auditory and vestibular systems differ greatly in their anatomical organization and firing properties. Notably, vestibular Type I hair cells (VHC-I) are surrounded by a single calyx-type afferent terminal that receives input from several ribbons, whereas cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) are contacted by several individual afferent boutons, each facing a single ribbon. The specificity of the presynaptic molecular mechanisms regulating transmitter release at these different sensory ribbon synapses is not well understood. Here, we found that exocytosis during voltage activation of Ca(2+) channels displayed higher Ca(2+) sensitivity, 10 mV more negative half-maximum activation, and a smaller dynamic range in VHC-I than in IHCs. VHC-I had a larger number of Ca(2+) channels per ribbon (158 vs 110 in IHCs), but their Ca(2+) current density was twofold smaller because of a smaller open probability and unitary conductance. Using confocal and stimulated emission depletion immunofluorescence microscopy, we showed that VHC-I had fewer synaptic ribbons (7 vs 17 in IHCs) to which Cav1.3 channels are more tightly organized than in IHCs. Gradual intracellular Ca(2+) uncaging experiments revealed that exocytosis had a similar intrinsic Ca(2+) sensitivity in both VHC-I and IHCs (KD of 3.3 ± 0.6 μM and 4.0 ± 0.7 μM, respectively). In otoferlin-deficient mice, exocytosis was largely reduced in VHC-I and IHCs. We conclude that VHC-I and IHCs use a similar micromolar-sensitive otoferlin Ca(2+) sensor and that their sensory encoding specificity is essentially determined by a different functional organization of Ca(2+) channels at their synaptic ribbons.
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44
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Zampini V, Johnson SL, Franz C, Knipper M, Holley MC, Magistretti J, Russo G, Marcotti W, Masetto S. Fine Tuning of CaV1.3 Ca2+ channel properties in adult inner hair cells positioned in the most sensitive region of the Gerbil Cochlea. PLoS One 2014; 9:e113750. [PMID: 25409445 PMCID: PMC4237458 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 10/28/2014] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Hearing relies on faithful signal transmission by cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) onto auditory fibres over a wide frequency and intensity range. Exocytosis at IHC ribbon synapses is triggered by Ca2+ inflow through CaV1.3 (L-type) Ca2+ channels. We investigated the macroscopic (whole-cell) and elementary (cell-attached) properties of Ca2+ currents in IHCs positioned at the middle turn (frequency ∼2 kHz) of the adult gerbil cochlea, which is their most sensitive hearing region. Using near physiological recordings conditions (body temperature and a Na+ based extracellular solution), we found that the macroscopic Ca2+ current activates and deactivates very rapidly (time constant below 1 ms) and inactivates slowly and only partially. Single-channel recordings showed an elementary conductance of 15 pS, a sub-ms latency to first opening, and a very low steady-state open probability (Po: 0.024 in response to 500-ms depolarizing steps at ∼−18 mV). The value of Po was significantly larger (0.06) in the first 40 ms of membrane depolarization, which corresponds to the time when most Ca2+ channel openings occurred clustered in bursts (mean burst duration: 19 ms). Both the Po and the mean burst duration were smaller than those previously reported in high-frequency basal IHCs. Finally, we found that middle turn IHCs are likely to express about 4 times more Ca2+ channels per ribbon than basal cells. We propose that middle-turn IHCs finely-tune CaV1.3 Ca2+ channel gating in order to provide reliable information upon timing and intensity of lower-frequency sounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Zampini
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Stuart L. Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Christoph Franz
- Department of Otolaryngology, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Laboratory of Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Marlies Knipper
- Department of Otolaryngology, Tübingen Hearing Research Centre, Laboratory of Molecular Physiology of Hearing, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthew C. Holley
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Jacopo Magistretti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology “Lazzaro Spallanzani”, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giancarlo Russo
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Walter Marcotti
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Sergio Masetto
- Department of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
- * E-mail:
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45
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Chapochnikov N, Takago H, Huang CH, Pangršič T, Khimich D, Neef J, Auge E, Göttfert F, Hell S, Wichmann C, Wolf F, Moser T. Uniquantal Release through a Dynamic Fusion Pore Is a Candidate Mechanism of Hair Cell Exocytosis. Neuron 2014; 83:1389-403. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2014.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/23/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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46
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Genetic, cellular, and functional evidence for Ca2+ inflow through Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 channels in murine spiral ganglion neurons. J Neurosci 2014; 34:7383-93. [PMID: 24849370 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5416-13.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) of the eighth nerve serve as the bridge between hair cells and the cochlear nucleus. Hair cells use Cav1.3 as the primary channel for Ca(2+) inflow to mediate transmitter release. In contrast, SGNs are equipped with multiple Ca(2+) channels to mediate Ca(2+)-dependent functions. We examined directly the role of Cav1.3 channels in SGNs using Cav1.3-deficient mice (Cav1.3(-/-)). We revealed a surprising finding that SGNs functionally express the cardiac-specific Cav1.2, as well as neuronal Cav1.3 channels. We show that evoked action potentials recorded from SGNs show a significant decrease in the frequency of firing in Cav1.3(-/-) mice compared with wild-type (Cav1.3(+/+)) littermates. Although Cav1.3 is the designated L-type channel in neurons, whole-cell currents recorded in isolated SGNs from Cav1.3(-/-) mice showed a surprising remnant current with sensitivity toward the dihydropyridine (DHP) agonist and antagonist, and a depolarization shift in the voltage-dependent activation compared with that in the Cav1.3(+/+) mice. Indeed, direct measurement of the elementary properties of Ca(2+) channels, in Cav1.3(+/+) neurons, confirmed the existence of two DHP-sensitive single-channel currents, with distinct open probabilities and conductances. We demonstrate that the DHP-sensitive current in Cav1.3(-/-) mice is derived from Cav1.2 channel activity, providing for the first time, to our knowledge, functional data for the expression of Cav1.2 currents in neurons. Finally, using shRNA gene knockdown methodology, and histological analyses of SGNs from Cav1.2(+/-) and Cav1.3(+/-) mice, we were able to establish the differential roles of Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 in SGNs.
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47
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Monesson-Olson BD, Browning-Kamins J, Aziz-Bose R, Kreines F, Trapani JG. Optical stimulation of zebrafish hair cells expressing channelrhodopsin-2. PLoS One 2014; 9:e96641. [PMID: 24791934 PMCID: PMC4008597 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0096641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate hair cells are responsible for the high fidelity encoding of mechanical stimuli into trains of action potentials (spikes) in afferent neurons. Here, we generated a transgenic zebrafish line expressing Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) under the control of the hair-cell specific myo6b promoter, in order to examine the role of the mechanoelectrical transduction (MET) channel in sensory encoding in afferent neurons. We performed in vivo recordings from afferent neurons of the zebrafish lateral line while activating hair cells with either mechanical stimuli from a waterjet or optical stimuli from flashes of ∼470-nm light. Comparison of the patterns of encoded spikes during 100-ms stimuli revealed no difference in mean first spike latency between the two modes of activation. However, there was a significant increase in the variability of first spike latency during optical stimulation as well as an increase in the mean number of spikes per stimulus. Next, we compared encoding of spikes during hair-cell stimulation at 10, 20, and 40-Hz. Consistent with the increased variability of first spike latency, we saw a significant decrease in the vector strength of phase-locked spiking during optical stimulation. These in vivo results support a physiological role for the MET channel in the high fidelity of first spike latency seen during encoding of mechanical sensory stimuli. Finally, we examined whether remote activation of hair cells via ChR2 activation was sufficient to elicit escape responses in free-swimming larvae. In transgenic larvae, 100-ms flashes of ∼470-nm light resulted in escape responses that occurred concomitantly with field recordings indicating Mauthner cell activity. Altogether, the myo6b:ChR2 transgenic line provides a platform to investigate hair-cell function and sensory encoding, hair-cell sensory input to the Mauthner cell, and the ability to remotely evoke behavior in free-swimming zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jenna Browning-Kamins
- Neuroscience Program, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Razina Aziz-Bose
- Neuroscience Program, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Fabiana Kreines
- Neuroscience Program, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Josef G. Trapani
- Department of Biology, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Neuroscience Program, Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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48
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α2δ3 is essential for normal structure and function of auditory nerve synapses and is a novel candidate for auditory processing disorders. J Neurosci 2014; 34:434-45. [PMID: 24403143 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3085-13.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The auxiliary subunit α2δ3 modulates the expression and function of voltage-gated calcium channels. Here we show that α2δ3 mRNA is expressed in spiral ganglion neurons and auditory brainstem nuclei and that the protein is required for normal acoustic responses. Genetic deletion of α2δ3 led to impaired auditory processing, with reduced acoustic startle and distorted auditory brainstem responses. α2δ3(-/-) mice learned to discriminate pure tones, but they failed to discriminate temporally structured amplitude-modulated tones. Light and electron microscopy analyses revealed reduced levels of presynaptic Ca(2+) channels and smaller auditory nerve fiber terminals contacting cochlear nucleus bushy cells. Juxtacellular in vivo recordings of sound-evoked activity in α2δ3(-/-) mice demonstrated impaired transmission at these synapses. Together, our results identify a novel role for the α2δ3 auxiliary subunit in the structure and function of specific synapses in the mammalian auditory pathway and in auditory processing disorders.
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49
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Olt J, Johnson SL, Marcotti W. In vivo and in vitro biophysical properties of hair cells from the lateral line and inner ear of developing and adult zebrafish. J Physiol 2014; 592:2041-58. [PMID: 24566541 PMCID: PMC4027864 DOI: 10.1113/jphysiol.2013.265108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Hair cells detect and process sound and movement information, and transmit this with remarkable precision and efficiency to afferent neurons via specialized ribbon synapses. The zebrafish is emerging as a powerful model for genetic analysis of hair cell development and function both in vitro and in vivo. However, the full exploitation of the zebrafish is currently limited by the difficulty in obtaining systematic electrophysiological recordings from hair cells under physiological recording conditions. Thus, the biophysical properties of developing and adult zebrafish hair cells are largely unknown. We investigated potassium and calcium currents, voltage responses and synaptic activity in hair cells from the lateral line and inner ear in vivo and using near-physiological in vitro recordings. We found that the basolateral current profile of hair cells from the lateral line becomes more segregated with age, and that cells positioned in the centre of the neuromast show more mature characteristics and those towards the edge retain a more immature phenotype. The proportion of mature-like hair cells within a given neuromast increased with zebrafish development. Hair cells from the inner ear showed a developmental change in current profile between the juvenile and adult stages. In lateral line hair cells from juvenile zebrafish, exocytosis also became more efficient and required less calcium for vesicle fusion. In hair cells from mature zebrafish, the biophysical characteristics of ion channels and exocytosis resembled those of hair cells from other lower vertebrates and, to some extent, those in the immature mammalian vestibular and auditory systems. We show that although the zebrafish provides a suitable animal model for studies on hair cell physiology, it is advisable to consider that the age at which the majority of hair cells acquire a mature-type configuration is reached only in the juvenile lateral line and in the inner ear from >2 months after hatching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Olt
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Stuart L Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Walter Marcotti
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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50
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Wong AB, Rutherford MA, Gabrielaitis M, Pangrsic T, Göttfert F, Frank T, Michanski S, Hell S, Wolf F, Wichmann C, Moser T. Developmental refinement of hair cell synapses tightens the coupling of Ca2+ influx to exocytosis. EMBO J 2014; 33:247-64. [PMID: 24442635 DOI: 10.1002/embj.201387110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) develop from pre-sensory pacemaker to sound transducer. Here, we report that this involves changes in structure and function of the ribbon synapses between IHCs and spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) around hearing onset in mice. As synapses matured they changed from holding several small presynaptic active zones (AZs) and apposed postsynaptic densities (PSDs) to one large AZ/PSD complex per SGN bouton. After the onset of hearing (i) IHCs had fewer and larger ribbons; (ii) CaV1.3 channels formed stripe-like clusters rather than the smaller and round clusters at immature AZs; (iii) extrasynaptic CaV1.3-channels were selectively reduced, (iv) the intrinsic Ca(2)(+) dependence of fast exocytosis probed by Ca(2)(+) uncaging remained unchanged but (v) the apparent Ca(2)(+) dependence of exocytosis linearized, when assessed by progressive dihydropyridine block of Ca(2)(+) influx. Biophysical modeling of exocytosis at mature and immature AZ topographies suggests that Ca(2)(+) influx through an individual channel dominates the [Ca(2)(+)] driving exocytosis at each mature release site. We conclude that IHC synapses undergo major developmental refinements, resulting in tighter spatial coupling between Ca(2)(+) influx and exocytosis.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Calcium/metabolism
- Calcium Channels/metabolism
- Calcium Signaling
- Electrophysiology
- Exocytosis/physiology
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Hair Cells, Auditory, Inner/cytology
- Hair Cells, Auditory, Inner/physiology
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Microscopy, Confocal
- Microscopy, Electron, Transmission
- Models, Neurological
- Mutation
- Patch-Clamp Techniques
- Presynaptic Terminals/ultrastructure
- Spiral Ganglion/cytology
- Spiral Ganglion/physiology
- Synapses/physiology
- Synapses/ultrastructure
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron B Wong
- InnerEarLab Department of Otolaryngology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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