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Lunsford ET, Bobkov YV, Ray BC, Liao JC, Strother JA. Anion efflux mediates transduction in the hair cells of the zebrafish lateral line. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2315515120. [PMID: 38117855 PMCID: PMC10756195 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315515120] [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: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Hair cells are the principal sensory receptors of the vertebrate auditory system, where they transduce sounds through mechanically gated ion channels that permit cations to flow from the surrounding endolymph into the cells. The lateral line of zebrafish has served as a key model system for understanding hair cell physiology and development, often with the belief that these hair cells employ a similar transduction mechanism. In this study, we demonstrate that these hair cells are exposed to an unregulated external environment with cation concentrations that are too low to support transduction. Our results indicate that hair cell excitation is instead mediated by a substantially different mechanism involving the outward flow of anions. Further investigation of hair cell transduction in a diversity of sensory systems and species will likely yield deep insights into the physiology of these unique cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias T. Lunsford
- Department of Biology, The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL32080
- Institut du Cerveau (Paris Brain Institute), Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris75013, France
| | - Yuriy V. Bobkov
- Department of Biology, The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL32080
| | - Brandon C. Ray
- Department of Biology, The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL32080
| | - James C. Liao
- Department of Biology, The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL32080
| | - James A. Strother
- Department of Biology, The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, FL32080
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2
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Zhu J, Lv C, Henry D, Viviano S, Santos-Sacchi J, Matthews G, Zenisek D. Role of Ribeye PXDLS/T-binding cleft in normal synaptic ribbon function. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.12.12.571266. [PMID: 38168344 PMCID: PMC10760060 DOI: 10.1101/2023.12.12.571266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Non-spiking sensory hair cells of the auditory and vestibular systems encode a dynamic range of graded signals with high fidelity by vesicle exocytosis at ribbon synapses. Ribeye, the most abundant protein in the synaptic ribbon, is composed of a unique A domain specific for ribbons and a B-domain nearly identical to the transcriptional corepressor CtBP2. CTBP2 and the B-domain of Ribeye contain a surface cleft that binds to proteins harboring a PXDLS/T peptide motif. Little is known about the importance of this binding site in synaptic function. Piccolo has a well-conserved PVDLT motif and we find that overexpressed Ribeye exhibits striking co-localization with Piccolo in INS-cells, while two separate mutants containing mutations in PXDLS/T-binding region, fail to co-localize with Piccolo. Similarly, co-transfected Ribeye and a piccolo fragment containing the PVDLT region co-localize in HEK cells. Expression of wild-type Ribeye-YFP in zebrafish neuromast hair cells returns electron densities to ribbon structures and mostly rescued normal synaptic transmission and morphological phenotypes in a mutant zebrafish lacking most Ribeye. By contrast, Ribeye-YFP harboring a mutation in the PXDLS/T-binding cleft resulted in ectopic electron dense aggregates that did not collect vesicles and the persistence of ribbons lacking electron densities. Furthermore, overexpression failed to return capacitance responses to normal levels. These results point toward a role for the PXDLS/T-binding cleft in the recruitment of Ribeye to ribbons and in normal synaptic function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zhu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Caixia Lv
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Diane Henry
- Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York 11759
| | - Stephen Viviano
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Joseph Santos-Sacchi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
- Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
- Surgery (Otolaryngology), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Gary Matthews
- Program in Neuroscience, State University of New York, Stony Brook, New York 11759
| | - David Zenisek
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
- Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
- Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520
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3
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Leclère JC, Dulon D. Otoferlin as a multirole Ca 2+ signaling protein: from inner ear synapses to cancer pathways. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1197611. [PMID: 37538852 PMCID: PMC10394277 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1197611] [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: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans have six members of the ferlin protein family: dysferlin, myoferlin, otoferlin, fer1L4, fer1L5, and fer1L6. These proteins share common features such as multiple Ca2+-binding C2 domains, FerA domains, and membrane anchoring through their single C-terminal transmembrane domain, and are believed to play a key role in calcium-triggered membrane fusion and vesicle trafficking. Otoferlin plays a crucial role in hearing and vestibular function. In this review, we will discuss how we see otoferlin working as a Ca2+-dependent mechanical sensor regulating synaptic vesicle fusion at the hair cell ribbon synapses. Although otoferlin is also present in the central nervous system, particularly in the cortex and amygdala, its role in brain tissues remains unknown. Mutations in the OTOF gene cause one of the most frequent genetic forms of congenital deafness, DFNB9. These mutations produce severe to profound hearing loss due to a defect in synaptic excitatory glutamatergic transmission between the inner hair cells and the nerve fibers of the auditory nerve. Gene therapy protocols that allow normal rescue expression of otoferlin in hair cells have just started and are currently in pre-clinical phase. In parallel, studies have linked ferlins to cancer through their effect on cell signaling and development, allowing tumors to form and cancer cells to adapt to a hostile environment. Modulation by mechanical forces and Ca2+ signaling are key determinants of the metastatic process. Although ferlins importance in cancer has not been extensively studied, data show that otoferlin expression is significantly associated with survival in specific cancer types, including clear cell and papillary cell renal carcinoma, and urothelial bladder cancer. These findings indicate a role for otoferlin in the carcinogenesis of these tumors, which requires further investigation to confirm and understand its exact role, particularly as it varies by tumor site. Targeting this protein may lead to new cancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Christophe Leclère
- Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Brest University Hospital, Brest, France
- Laboratory of Neurophysiologie de la Synapse Auditive, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
| | - Didier Dulon
- Laboratory of Neurophysiologie de la Synapse Auditive, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- Institut de l’Audition, Institut Pasteur & INSERM UA06, Paris, France
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4
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Kindig K, Stepanyan R, Kindt KS, McDermott BM. Asymmetric mechanotransduction by hair cells of the zebrafish lateral line. Curr Biol 2023; 33:1295-1307.e3. [PMID: 36905930 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.02.033] [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: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
In the lateral line system, water motion is detected by neuromast organs, fundamental units that are arrayed on a fish's surface. Each neuromast contains hair cells, specialized mechanoreceptors that convert mechanical stimuli, in the form of water movement, into electrical signals. The orientation of hair cells' mechanosensitive structures ensures that the opening of mechanically gated channels is maximal when deflected in a single direction. In each neuromast organ, hair cells have two opposing orientations, enabling bi-directional detection of water movement. Interestingly, Tmc2b and Tmc2a proteins, which constitute the mechanotransduction channels in neuromasts, distribute asymmetrically so that Tmc2a is expressed in hair cells of only one orientation. Here, using both in vivo recording of extracellular potentials and calcium imaging of neuromasts, we demonstrate that hair cells of one orientation have larger mechanosensitive responses. The associated afferent neuron processes that innervate neuromast hair cells faithfully preserve this functional difference. Moreover, Emx2, a transcription factor required for the formation of hair cells with opposing orientations, is necessary to establish this functional asymmetry within neuromasts. Remarkably, loss of Tmc2a does not impact hair cell orientation but abolishes the functional asymmetry as measured by recording extracellular potentials and calcium imaging. Overall, our work indicates that oppositely oriented hair cells within a neuromast employ different proteins to alter mechanotransduction to sense the direction of water motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kayla Kindig
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Ruben Stepanyan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
| | - Katie S Kindt
- Section on Sensory Cell Development and Function, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
| | - Brian M McDermott
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA; Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
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5
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Plazas PV, Elgoyhen AB. The Cholinergic Lateral Line Efferent Synapse: Structural, Functional and Molecular Similarities With Those of the Cochlea. Front Cell Neurosci 2021; 15:765083. [PMID: 34712122 PMCID: PMC8545859 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2021.765083] [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] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Vertebrate hair cell (HC) systems are innervated by efferent fibers that modulate their response to external stimuli. In mammals, the best studied efferent-HC synapse, the cholinergic medial olivocochlear (MOC) efferent system, makes direct synaptic contacts with HCs. The net effect of MOC activity is to hyperpolarize HCs through the activation of α9α10 nicotinic cholinergic receptors (nAChRs) and the subsequent activation of Ca2+-dependent SK2 potassium channels. A serious obstacle in research on many mammalian sensory systems in their native context is that their constituent neurons are difficult to access even in newborn animals, hampering circuit observation, mapping, or controlled manipulation. By contrast, fishes and amphibians have a superficial and accessible mechanosensory system, the lateral line (LL), which circumvents many of these problems. LL responsiveness is modulated by efferent neurons which aid to distinguish between external and self-generated stimuli. One component of the LL efferent system is cholinergic and its activation inhibits LL afferent activity, similar to what has been described for MOC efferents. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has emerged as a powerful model system for studying human hearing and balance disorders, since LL HC are structurally and functionally analogous to cochlear HCs, but are optically and pharmacologically accessible within an intact specimen. Complementing mammalian studies, zebrafish have been used to gain significant insights into many facets of HC biology, including mechanotransduction and synaptic physiology as well as mechanisms of both hereditary and acquired HC dysfunction. With the rise of the zebrafish LL as a model in which to study auditory system function and disease, there has been an increased interest in studying its efferent system and evaluate the similarity between mammalian and piscine efferent synapses. Advances derived from studies in zebrafish include understanding the effect of the LL efferent system on HC and afferent activity, and revealing that an α9-containing nAChR, functionally coupled to SK channels, operates at the LL efferent synapse. In this review, we discuss the tools and findings of these recent investigations into zebrafish efferent-HC synapse, their commonalities with the mammalian counterpart and discuss several emerging areas for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola V Plazas
- Instituto de Farmacología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ana Belén Elgoyhen
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Ingeniería Genética y Biología Molecular, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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6
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Chen Z, Zhu S, Kindig K, Wang S, Chou SW, Davis RW, Dercoli MR, Weaver H, Stepanyan R, McDermott BM. Tmc proteins are essential for zebrafish hearing where Tmc1 is not obligatory. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 29:2004-2021. [PMID: 32167554 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddaa045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Perception of sound is initiated by mechanically gated ion channels at the tips of stereocilia. Mature mammalian auditory hair cells require transmembrane channel-like 1 (TMC1) for mechanotransduction, and mutations of the cognate genetic sequences result in dominant or recessive heritable deafness forms in humans and mice. In contrast, zebrafish lateral line hair cells, which detect water motion, require Tmc2a and Tmc2b. Here, we use standard and multiplex genome editing in conjunction with functional and behavioral assays to determine the reliance of zebrafish hearing and vestibular organs on Tmc proteins. Surprisingly, our approach using multiple mutant alleles demonstrates that hearing in zebrafish is not dependent on Tmc1, nor is it fully dependent on Tmc2a and Tmc2b. Hearing however is absent in triple-mutant zebrafish that lack Tmc1, Tmc2a and Tmc2b. These outcomes reveal a striking resemblance of Tmc protein reliance in the vestibular sensory epithelia of mammals to the maculae of zebrafish. Moreover, our findings disclose a logic of Tmc use where hearing depends on a complement of Tmc proteins beyond those employed to sense water motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongwei Chen
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Shaoyuan Zhu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Kayla Kindig
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Shengxuan Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Shih-Wei Chou
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Robin Woods Davis
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Michael R Dercoli
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Hannah Weaver
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Ruben Stepanyan
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Brian M McDermott
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Genetics and Genome Sciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.,Department of Neurosciences, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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7
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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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8
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Bai J, Xue N, Lawal O, Nyati A, Santos‐Sacchi J, Navaratnam D. Calcium-induced calcium release in proximity to hair cell BK channels revealed by PKA activation. Physiol Rep 2020; 8:e14449. [PMID: 32748549 PMCID: PMC7399380 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.14449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Large-conductance calcium-activated potassium (BK) channels play a critical role in electrical resonance, a mechanism of frequency selectivity in chicken hair cells. We determine that BK currents are dependent on inward flow of Ca2+ , and intracellular buffering of Ca2+ . Entry of Ca2+ is further amplified locally by calcium-induced Ca2+ release (CICR) in close proximity to plasma membrane BK channels. Ca2+ imaging reveals peripheral clusters of high concentrations of Ca2+ that are suprathreshold to that needed to activate BK channels. Protein kinase A (PKA) activation increases the size of BK currents likely by recruiting more BK channels due to spatial spread of high Ca2+ concentrations in turn from increasing CICR. STORM imaging confirms the presence of nanodomains with ryanodine and IP3 receptors in close proximity to the Slo subunit of BK channels. Together, these data require a rethinking of how electrical resonance is brought about and suggest effects of CICR in synaptic release. Both genders were included in this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun‐ping Bai
- Department of NeurologyYale School of MedicineNew HavenCTUSA
| | - Na Xue
- Department of Otolaryngology‐Head and Neck SurgeryShanghai Ninth People's HospitalShanghai Jiaotong University School of MedicineShanghaiChina
| | - Omolara Lawal
- Department of NeurologyYale School of MedicineNew HavenCTUSA
| | - Anda Nyati
- Undergraduate ProgramJohns Hopkins UniversityBaltimoreMDUSA
| | - Joseph Santos‐Sacchi
- Department of SurgeryYale School of MedicineNew HavenCTUSA
- Department of Cell and Molecular PhysiologyYale School of MedicineNew HavenCTUSA
- Department of NeuroscienceYale School of MedicineNew HavenCTUSA
| | - Dhasakumar Navaratnam
- Department of NeurologyYale School of MedicineNew HavenCTUSA
- Department of SurgeryYale School of MedicineNew HavenCTUSA
- Department of NeuroscienceYale School of MedicineNew HavenCTUSA
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9
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Pickett SB, Raible DW. Water Waves to Sound Waves: Using Zebrafish to Explore Hair Cell Biology. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2019; 20:1-19. [PMID: 30635804 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-018-00711-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Although perhaps best known for their use in developmental studies, over the last couple of decades, zebrafish have become increasingly popular model organisms for investigating auditory system function and disease. Like mammals, zebrafish possess inner ear mechanosensory hair cells required for hearing, as well as superficial hair cells of the lateral line sensory system, which mediate detection of directional water flow. Complementing mammalian studies, zebrafish have been used to gain significant insights into many facets of hair cell biology, including mechanotransduction and synaptic physiology as well as mechanisms of both hereditary and acquired hair cell dysfunction. Here, we provide an overview of this literature, highlighting some of the particular advantages of using zebrafish to investigate hearing and hearing loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah B Pickett
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Health Sciences Building H-501, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 357420, Seattle, WA, 98195-7420, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 357270, Seattle, WA, 98195-7270, USA
| | - David W Raible
- Department of Biological Structure, University of Washington, Health Sciences Building H-501, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 357420, Seattle, WA, 98195-7420, USA.
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street, Box 357270, Seattle, WA, 98195-7270, USA.
- Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center, University of Washington, 1701 NE Columbia Rd, Box 357923, Seattle, WA, 98195-7923, USA.
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10
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The Transfer Characteristics of Hair Cells Encoding Mechanical Stimuli in the Lateral Line of Zebrafish. J Neurosci 2018; 39:112-124. [PMID: 30413644 PMCID: PMC6325263 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1472-18.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Revised: 10/09/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Hair cells transmit mechanical information by converting deflection of the hair bundle into synaptic release of glutamate. We have investigated this process in the lateral line of larval zebrafish (male and female) to understand how stimuli are encoded within a neuromast. Using multiphoton microscopy in vivo, we imaged synaptic release of glutamate using the reporter iGluSnFR as well as deflections of the cupula. We found that the neuromast is composed of a functionally diverse population of hair cells. Half the hair cells signaled cupula motion in both directions from rest, either by increasing glutamate release in response to a deflection in the positive direction or by reducing release in the negative direction. The relationship between cupula deflection and glutamate release demonstrated maximum sensitivity at displacements of just ∼40 nm in the positive direction. The remaining hair cells only signaled motion in one direction and were less sensitive, extending the operating range of the neuromast beyond 1 μm. Adaptation of the synaptic output was also heterogeneous, with some hair cells generating sustained glutamate release in response to a steady deflection of the cupula and others generating transient outputs. Finally, a distinct signal encoded a return of the cupula to rest: a large and transient burst of glutamate release from hair cells unresponsive to the initial stimulus. A population of hair cells with these different sensitivities, operating ranges, and adaptive properties will allow the neuromast to encode weak stimuli while maintaining the dynamic range to signal the amplitude and duration of stronger deflections. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Hair cells transmit information about mechanical stimuli by converting very small deflections of their hair bundle into changes in the release of the neurotransmitter glutamate. We have measured this input/output relation in the live fish using a fluorescent protein and find that different hair cells vary in their mechanical sensitivity and the time course of their response. These variations will allow the fish to sense the timing and duration of both very weak stimuli (∼40 nm deflections) and strong stimuli (∼1 μm), underlying the ability of the fish to avoid predators and maintain its body position in flowing water.
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11
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Haehnel-Taguchi M, Akanyeti O, Liao JC. Behavior, Electrophysiology, and Robotics Experiments to Study Lateral Line Sensing in Fishes. Integr Comp Biol 2018; 58:874-883. [PMID: 29982706 PMCID: PMC6204992 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icy066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The lateral line system is a sensory system unique to fishes and amphibians. It is composed of distributed mechanosensory hair cell organs on the head and body (neuromasts), which are sensitive to pressure gradients and water movements. Over the last decade, we have pursued an interdisciplinary approach by combining behavioral, electrophysiology, and robotics experiments to study this fascinating sensory system. In behavioral and electrophysiology experiments, we have studied the larval lateral line system in the model genetic organism, zebrafish (Danio rerio). We found that the lateral line system, even in 5-day-old larvae, is involved in an array of behaviors that are critical to survival, and the deflection of a single neuromast can elicit a swimming response. In robotics experiments, we used a range of physical models with distributed pressure sensors to better understand the hydrodynamic environments from the local perspective of a fish or robot. So far, our efforts have focused on extracting control-related information for a range of application scenarios including characterizing unsteady flows such as Kármán vortex streets for station holding. We also used robot models to test biological hypotheses on how morphology and movement of fishes affect lateral line sensing. Overall, with this review we aim to increase the visibility and accessibility of this multi-disciplinary research approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Haehnel-Taguchi
- Faculty of Biology, Albert-Ludwigs Universität Freiburg, Hauptstraße 1, Freiburg D-79104, Germany
| | - Otar Akanyeti
- Department of Computer Science, Aberystwyth University, Penglais Campus, Aberystwyth SY23 3FL, UK
| | - James C Liao
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
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12
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Kindt KS, Sheets L. Transmission Disrupted: Modeling Auditory Synaptopathy in Zebrafish. Front Cell Dev Biol 2018; 6:114. [PMID: 30258843 PMCID: PMC6143809 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2018.00114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common form of hearing loss in humans, and results from either dysfunction in hair cells, the sensory receptors of sound, or the neurons that innervate hair cells. A specific type of sensorineural hearing loss, referred to as auditory synaptopathy, occurs when hair cells are able to detect sound but fail to transmit sound stimuli at the hair-cell synapse. Auditory synaptopathy can originate from genetic alterations that specifically disrupt hair-cell synapse function. Additionally, environmental factors such as noise exposure can leave hair cells intact but result in loss of hair-cell synapses, and represent an acquired form of auditory synaptopathy. The zebrafish model has emerged as a valuable system for studies of hair-cell function, and specifically hair-cell synaptopathy. In this review, we describe the experimental tools that have been developed to study hair-cell synapses in zebrafish. We discuss how zebrafish genetics has helped identify and define the roles of hair-cell synaptic proteins crucial for hearing in humans, and highlight how studies in zebrafish have contributed to our understanding of hair-cell synapse formation and function. In addition, we also discuss work that has used noise exposure or pharmacological mimic of noise-induced excitotoxicity in zebrafish to define cellular mechanisms underlying noise-induced hair-cell damage and synapse loss. Lastly, we highlight how future studies in zebrafish could enhance our understanding of the pathological processes underlying synapse loss in both genetic and acquired auditory synaptopathy. This knowledge is critical in order to develop therapies that protect or repair auditory synaptic contacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie S. Kindt
- Section on Sensory Cell Development and Function, NIDCD/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Lavinia Sheets
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, United States
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13
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Lin LY, Yeh YH, Hung GY, Lin CH, Hwang PP, Horng JL. Role of Calcium-Sensing Receptor in Mechanotransducer-Channel-Mediated Ca 2+ Influx in Hair Cells of Zebrafish Larvae. Front Physiol 2018; 9:649. [PMID: 29899708 PMCID: PMC5988855 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.00649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) is an extracellular Ca2+ sensor that plays a critical role in maintaining Ca2+ homeostasis in several organs, including the parathyroid gland and kidneys. In this study, through in situ hybridization, the expression of CaSR mRNA was found in the neuromasts of zebrafish larvae. Immunohistochemistry further demonstrated that the CaSR protein was present in neuromast hair cell stereocilia and basolateral membranes. Based on the expression and subcellular localization of the CaSR in hair cells, we hypothesized that the CaSR is expressed in zebrafish lateral-line hair cells to regulate mechanotransducer (MET)-channel-mediated Ca2+ entry. Using the scanning ion-selective electrode technique, MET-channel-mediated Ca2+ influx at the stereocilia of hair cells was measured in intact larvae. Ca2+ influx was suppressed after larvae were pretreated with a CaSR activator (R-568) or high-Ca2+ (HCa) medium. Gene knockdown by using morpholino oligonucleotides decreased CaSR expression in hair cells and eliminated the effects of R-568 and HCa on Ca2+ influx. In addition, we found that treatment with R-568 attenuated neomycin-induced hair cell death. This study is the first to demonstrate that the CaSR is involved in mechanotransduction in zebrafish hair cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Yih Lin
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Hsin Yeh
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Giun-Yi Hung
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Pediatrics, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Hao Lin
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Pung-Pung Hwang
- Institute of Cellular and Organismic Biology, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Jiun-Lin Horng
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
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14
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Zhang Q, Li S, Wong HTC, He XJ, Beirl A, Petralia RS, Wang YX, Kindt KS. Synaptically silent sensory hair cells in zebrafish are recruited after damage. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1388. [PMID: 29643351 PMCID: PMC5895622 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03806-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Analysis of mechanotransduction among ensembles of sensory hair cells in vivo is challenging in many species. To overcome this challenge, we used optical indicators to investigate mechanotransduction among collections of hair cells in intact zebrafish. Our imaging reveals a previously undiscovered disconnect between hair-cell mechanosensation and synaptic transmission. We show that saturating mechanical stimuli able to open mechanically gated channels are unexpectedly insufficient to evoke vesicle fusion in the majority of hair cells. Although synaptically silent, latent hair cells can be rapidly recruited after damage, demonstrating that they are synaptically competent. Therefore synaptically silent hair cells may be an important reserve that acts to maintain sensory function. Our results demonstrate a previously unidentified level of complexity in sculpting sensory transmission from the periphery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiuxiang Zhang
- Section on Sensory Cell Development and Function, NIDCD/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Suna Li
- Section on Sensory Cell Development and Function, NIDCD/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Hiu-Tung C Wong
- Section on Sensory Cell Development and Function, NIDCD/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Xinyi J He
- Section on Sensory Cell Development and Function, NIDCD/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Alisha Beirl
- Section on Sensory Cell Development and Function, NIDCD/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Ronald S Petralia
- Advanced Imaging Core, NIDCD/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Ya-Xian Wang
- Advanced Imaging Core, NIDCD/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Katie S Kindt
- Section on Sensory Cell Development and Function, NIDCD/National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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15
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Abstract
Our ears are remarkable sensory organs, providing the important senses of balance and hearing. The complex structure of the inner ear, or 'labyrinth', along with the assorted neuroepithelia, have evolved to detect head movements and sounds with impressive sensitivity. The rub is that the inner ear is highly vulnerable to genetic lesions and environmental insults. According to National Institute of Health estimates, hearing loss is one of the most commonly inherited or acquired sensorineural diseases. To understand the causes of deafness and balance disorders, it is imperative to understand the underlying biology of the inner ear, especially the inner workings of the sensory receptors. These receptors, which are termed hair cells, are particularly susceptible to genetic mutations - more than two dozen genes are associated with defects in this cell type in humans. Over the past decade, a substantial amount of progress has been made in working out the molecular basis of hair-cell function using vertebrate animal models. Given the transparency of the inner ear and the genetic tools that are available, zebrafish have become an increasingly popular animal model for the study of deafness and vestibular dysfunction. Mutagenesis screens for larval defects in hearing and balance have been fruitful in finding key components, many of which have been implicated in human deafness. This review will focus on the genes that are required for hair-cell function in zebrafish, with a particular emphasis on mechanotransduction. In addition, the generation of new tools available for the characterization of zebrafish hair-cell mutants will be discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Nicolson
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and the Vollum Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, Tel: 503-494-3693,
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16
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Evaluation of the Hair Cell Regeneration in Zebrafish Larvae by Measuring and Quantifying the Startle Responses. Neural Plast 2017; 2017:8283075. [PMID: 28250994 PMCID: PMC5303594 DOI: 10.1155/2017/8283075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2016] [Revised: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 12/05/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The zebrafish has become an established model organism for the study of hearing and balance systems in the past two decades. The classical approach to examine hair cells is to use dye to conduct selective staining, which shows the number and morphology of hair cells but does not reveal their function. Startle response is a behavior closely related to the auditory function of hair cells; therefore it can be used to measure the function of hair cells. In this study, we developed a device to measure the startle response of zebrafish larvae. By applying various levels of stimulus, it showed that the system can discern a 10 dB difference. The hair cell in zebrafish can regenerate after damage due to noise exposure or drug treatment. With this device, we measured the startle response of zebrafish larvae during and after drug treatment. The results show a similar trend to the classical hair cell staining method. The startle response was reduced with drug treatment and recovered after removal of the drug. Together it demonstrated the capability of this behavioral assay in evaluating the hair cell functions of fish larvae and its potential as a high-throughput screening tool for auditory-related gene and drug discovery.
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17
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Zamora LY, Miguel KC, Lu Z. The alcohol-sensitive period during early octavolateral organ development in zebrafish (Danio rerio). J Neurosci Res 2017; 95:1194-1203. [PMID: 28105691 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Revised: 11/30/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Fetal alcohol exposure can cause Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), completely preventable developmental disabilities characterized by permanent birth defects. However, specific gestational timing when developing organs are most sensitive to alcohol exposure is unclear. In this study, we examined the temporal effects of embryonic alcohol exposure on octavolateral organs in zebrafish (Danio rerio), including inner ears and lateral line neuromasts that function in hearing, balance, and hydrodynamic detection, respectively. To determine an alcohol-sensitive period in the first 24 hours post fertilization (hpf), Et(krt4:EGFP)sqet4 zebrafish that express green fluorescent protein in sensory hair cells were treated in 2% alcohol for 2, 3, and 5-hours. Octavolateral organs of control and alcohol-exposed larvae were examined at 3, 5, and 7 days post fertilization (dpf). Using confocal and light microscopy, we found that alcohol-exposed larvae had significantly smaller otic vesicles and saccular otoliths than control larvae at 3 dpf. Only alcohol-exposed larvae from 12-17 hpf had smaller otic vesicles at 5 dpf, smaller saccular otoliths at 7 dpf and fewer saccular hair cells, neuromasts and hair cells per neuromast at 3 dpf. In addition, auditory function was assessed by microphonic potential recordings from inner ear hair cells in response to 200-Hz stimulation. Hearing sensitivity was reduced for alcohol-exposed larvae from 7-12 and 12-17 hpf. Our results show that 12-17 hpf is an alcohol-sensitive time window when morphology and function of zebrafish octavolateral organs are most vulnerable to alcohol exposure. This study implies that embryonic alcohol exposure timing during early development can influence severity of hearing deficits. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilliann Y Zamora
- University of Miami, Department of Biology, Coral Gables, Florida.,University of Miami, Neuroscience Program, Miami, Florida
| | - Kayla C Miguel
- University of Miami, Neuroscience Program, Miami, Florida
| | - Zhongmin Lu
- University of Miami, Department of Biology, Coral Gables, Florida.,University of Miami, Neuroscience Program, Miami, Florida.,International Center for Marine Studies, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
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18
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Troconis EL, Ordoobadi AJ, Sommers TF, Aziz‐Bose R, Carter AR, Trapani JG. Intensity-dependent timing and precision of startle response latency in larval zebrafish. J Physiol 2017; 595:265-282. [PMID: 27228964 PMCID: PMC5199724 DOI: 10.1113/jp272466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2016] [Accepted: 05/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Using high-speed videos time-locked with whole-animal electrical recordings, simultaneous measurement of behavioural kinematics and field potential parameters of C-start startle responses allowed for discrimination between short-latency and long-latency C-starts (SLCs vs. LLCs) in larval zebrafish. Apart from their latencies, SLC kinematics and SLC field potential parameters were intensity independent. Increasing stimulus intensity increased the probability of evoking an SLC and decreased mean SLC latencies while increasing their precision; subtraction of field potential latencies from SLC latencies revealed a fixed time delay between the two measurements that was intensity independent. The latency and the precision in the latency of the SLC field potentials were linearly correlated to the latencies and precision of the first evoked action potentials (spikes) in hair-cell afferent neurons of the lateral line. Together, these findings indicate that first spike latency (FSL) is a fast encoding mechanism that can serve to precisely initiate startle responses when speed is critical for survival. ABSTRACT Vertebrates rely on fast sensory encoding for rapid and precise initiation of startle responses. In afferent sensory neurons, trains of action potentials (spikes) encode stimulus intensity within the onset time of the first evoked spike (first spike latency; FSL) and the number of evoked spikes. For speed of initiation of startle responses, FSL would be the more advantageous mechanism to encode the intensity of a threat. However, the intensity dependence of FSL and spike number and whether either determines the precision of startle response initiation is not known. Here, we examined short-latency startle responses (SLCs) in larval zebrafish and tested the hypothesis that first spike latencies and their precision (jitter) determine the onset time and precision of SLCs. We evoked startle responses via activation of Channelrhodopsin (ChR2) expressed in ear and lateral line hair cells and acquired high-speed videos of head-fixed larvae while simultaneously recording underlying field potentials. This method allowed for discrimination between primary SLCs and less frequent, long-latency startle responses (LLCs). Quantification of SLC kinematics and field potential parameters revealed that, apart from their latencies, they were intensity independent. We found that increasing stimulus intensity decreased SLC latencies while increasing their precision, which was significantly correlated with corresponding changes in field potential latencies and their precision. Single afferent neuron recordings from the lateral line revealed a similar intensity-dependent decrease in first spike latencies and their jitter, which could account for the intensity-dependent changes in timing and precision of startle response latencies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ashley R. Carter
- Department of Physics and AstronomyAmherst CollegeAmherstMA01002USA
| | - Josef G. Trapani
- Department of BiologyAmherst CollegeAmherstMA01002USA
- Neuroscience ProgramAmherst CollegeAmherstMA01002USA
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19
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Olt J, Allen CE, Marcotti W. In vivo physiological recording from the lateral line of juvenile zebrafish. J Physiol 2016; 594:5427-38. [PMID: 27161862 PMCID: PMC5043028 DOI: 10.1113/jp271794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS Zebrafish provide a unique opportunity to investigate in vivo sensory transduction in mature hair cells. We have developed a method for studying the biophysical properties of mature hair cells from the lateral line of juvenile zebrafish. The method involves application of the anaesthetic benzocaine and intubation to maintain ventilation and oxygenation through the gills. The same approach could be used for in vivo functional studies in other sensory and non-sensory systems from juvenile and adult zebrafish. ABSTRACT Hair cells are sensory receptors responsible for transducing auditory and vestibular information into electrical signals, which are then transmitted with remarkable precision to afferent neurons. The zebrafish lateral line is emerging as an excellent in vivo model for genetic and physiological analysis of hair cells and neurons. However, research has been limited to larval stages because zebrafish become protected from the time of independent feeding under European law (from 5.2 days post-fertilization (dpf) at 28.5°C). In larval zebrafish, the functional properties of most of hair cells, as well as those of other excitable cells, are still immature. We have developed an experimental protocol to record electrophysiological properties from hair cells of the lateral line in juvenile zebrafish. We found that the anaesthetic benzocaine at 50 mg l(-1) was an effective and safe anaesthetic to use on juvenile zebrafish. Concentrations up to 300 mg l(-1) did not affect the electrical properties or synaptic vesicle release of juvenile hair cells, unlike the commonly used anaesthetic MS-222, which reduces the size of basolateral membrane K(+) currents. Additionally, we implemented a method to maintain gill movement, and as such respiration and blood oxygenation, via the intubation of > 21 dpf zebrafish. The combination of benzocaine and intubation provides an experimental platform to investigate the physiology of mature hair cells from live zebrafish. More generally, this method would allow functional studies involving live imaging and electrophysiology from juvenile and adult zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Olt
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Claire E Allen
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Walter Marcotti
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK.
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20
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Lv C, Stewart WJ, Akanyeti O, Frederick C, Zhu J, Santos-Sacchi J, Sheets L, Liao JC, Zenisek D. Synaptic Ribbons Require Ribeye for Electron Density, Proper Synaptic Localization, and Recruitment of Calcium Channels. Cell Rep 2016; 15:2784-95. [PMID: 27292637 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.05.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Revised: 04/06/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaptic ribbons are structures made largely of the protein Ribeye that hold synaptic vesicles near release sites in non-spiking cells in some sensory systems. Here, we introduce frameshift mutations in the two zebrafish genes encoding for Ribeye and thus remove Ribeye protein from neuromast hair cells. Despite Ribeye depletion, vesicles collect around ribbon-like structures that lack electron density, which we term "ghost ribbons." Ghost ribbons are smaller in size but possess a similar number of smaller vesicles and are poorly localized to synapses and calcium channels. These hair cells exhibit enhanced exocytosis, as measured by capacitance, and recordings from afferent neurons post-synaptic to hair cells show no significant difference in spike rates. Our results suggest that Ribeye makes up most of the synaptic ribbon density in neuromast hair cells and is necessary for proper localization of calcium channels and synaptic ribbons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caixia Lv
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8066, USA
| | - William J Stewart
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience and Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - Otar Akanyeti
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience and Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - Courtney Frederick
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8066, USA
| | - Jie Zhu
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8066, USA
| | - Joseph Santos-Sacchi
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8066, USA; Department of Surgery (Otolaryngology), Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8066, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8066, USA
| | - Lavinia Sheets
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratory, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Otolaryngology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - James C Liao
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience and Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, FL 32080, USA
| | - David Zenisek
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8066, USA; Department of Opthalmology and Visual Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8066, USA.
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21
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Olt J, Ordoobadi AJ, Marcotti W, Trapani JG. Physiological recordings from the zebrafish lateral line. Methods Cell Biol 2016; 133:253-79. [PMID: 27263416 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2016.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
During sensory transduction, external physical stimuli are translated into an internal biological signal. In vertebrates, hair cells are specialized mechanosensory receptors that transduce sound, gravitational forces, and head movements into electrical signals that are transmitted with remarkable precision and efficiency to afferent neurons. Hair cells have a conserved structure between species and are also found in the lateral line system of fish, including zebrafish, which serve as an ideal animal model to study sensory transmission in vivo. In this chapter, we describe the methods required to investigate the biophysical properties underlying mechanosensation in the lateral line of the zebrafish in vivo from microphonic potentials and single hair cell patch-clamp recordings to single afferent neuron recordings. These techniques provide real-time measurements of hair-cell transduction and transmission following delivery of controlled and defined stimuli and their combined use on the intact zebrafish provides a powerful platform to investigate sensory encoding in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Olt
- University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | | | - W Marcotti
- University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
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22
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Zhang QX, He XJ, Wong HC, Kindt KS. Functional calcium imaging in zebrafish lateral-line hair cells. Methods Cell Biol 2016; 133:229-52. [PMID: 27263415 DOI: 10.1016/bs.mcb.2015.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Sensory hair-cell development, function, and regeneration are fundamental processes that are challenging to study in mammalian systems. Zebrafish are an excellent alternative model to study hair cells because they have an external auxiliary organ called the lateral line. The hair cells of the lateral line are easily accessible, which makes them suitable for live, function-based fluorescence imaging. In this chapter, we describe methods to perform functional calcium imaging in zebrafish lateral-line hair cells. We compare genetically encoded calcium indicators that have been used previously to measure calcium in lateral-line hair cells. We also outline equipment required for calcium imaging and compare different imaging systems. Lastly, we discuss how to set up optimal imaging parameters and how to process and visualize calcium signals. Overall, using these methods, in vivo calcium imaging is a powerful tool to examine sensory hair-cell function in an intact organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Q X Zhang
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - X J He
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - H C Wong
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - K S Kindt
- National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
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23
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Nicolson T. Ribbon synapses in zebrafish hair cells. Hear Res 2015; 330:170-7. [PMID: 25916266 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2015.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2014] [Revised: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The basic architecture and functionality of ribbon synapses of mechanosensitive hair cells are well conserved among vertebrates. Forward and reverse genetic methods in zebrafish (Danio rerio) have identified components that are critical for the development and function of ribbon synapses. This review will focus on the findings of these genetic approaches, and discuss some emergent concepts on the role of the ribbon body and calcium in synapse development, and how perturbations in synaptic vesicles lead to a loss of temporal fidelity at ribbon synapses. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled <Auditory Synaptology>.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Nicolson
- Oregon Hearing Research Center and Vollum Institute, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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24
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Levi R, Akanyeti O, Ballo A, Liao JC. Frequency response properties of primary afferent neurons in the posterior lateral line system of larval zebrafish. J Neurophysiol 2014; 113:657-68. [PMID: 25355959 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00414.2014] [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: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability of fishes to detect water flow with the neuromasts of their lateral line system depends on the physiology of afferent neurons as well as the hydrodynamic environment. Using larval zebrafish (Danio rerio), we measured the basic response properties of primary afferent neurons to mechanical deflections of individual superficial neuromasts. We used two types of stimulation protocols. First, we used sine wave stimulation to characterize the response properties of the afferent neurons. The average frequency-response curve was flat across stimulation frequencies between 0 and 100 Hz, matching the filtering properties of a displacement detector. Spike rate increased asymptotically with frequency, and phase locking was maximal between 10 and 60 Hz. Second, we used pulse train stimulation to analyze the maximum spike rate capabilities. We found that afferent neurons could generate up to 80 spikes/s and could follow a pulse train stimulation rate of up to 40 pulses/s in a reliable and precise manner. Both sine wave and pulse stimulation protocols indicate that an afferent neuron can maintain their evoked activity for longer durations at low stimulation frequencies than at high frequencies. We found one type of afferent neuron based on spontaneous activity patterns and discovered a correlation between the level of spontaneous and evoked activity. Overall, our results establish the baseline response properties of lateral line primary afferent neurons in larval zebrafish, which is a crucial step in understanding how vertebrate mechanoreceptive systems sense and subsequently process information from the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael Levi
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida
| | - Otar Akanyeti
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida
| | - Aleksander Ballo
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida
| | - James C Liao
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, St. Augustine, Florida
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25
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Haehnel-Taguchi M, Akanyeti O, Liao JC. Afferent and motoneuron activity in response to single neuromast stimulation in the posterior lateral line of larval zebrafish. J Neurophysiol 2014; 112:1329-39. [PMID: 24966296 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00274.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The lateral line system of fishes contains mechanosensory receptors along the body surface called neuromasts, which can detect water motion relative to the body. The ability to sense flow informs many behaviors, such as schooling, predator avoidance, and rheotaxis. Here, we developed a new approach to stimulate individual neuromasts while either recording primary sensory afferent neuron activity or swimming motoneuron activity in larval zebrafish (Danio rerio). Our results allowed us to characterize the transfer functions between a controlled lateral line stimulus, its representation by primary sensory neurons, and its subsequent behavioral output. When we deflected the cupula of a neuromast with a ramp command, we found that the connected afferent neuron exhibited an adapting response which was proportional in strength to deflection velocity. The maximum spike rate of afferent neurons increased sigmoidally with deflection velocity, with a linear range between 0.1 and 1.0 μm/ms. However, spike rate did not change when the cupula was deflected below 8 μm, regardless of deflection velocity. Our findings also reveal an unexpected sensitivity in the larval lateral line system: stimulation of a single neuromast could elicit a swimming response which increased in reliability with increasing deflection velocities. At high deflection velocities, we observed that lateral line evoked swimming has intermediate values of burst frequency and duty cycle that fall between electrically evoked and spontaneous swimming. An understanding of the sensory capabilities of a single neuromast will help to build a better picture of how stimuli are encoded at the systems level and ultimately translated into behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie Haehnel-Taguchi
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, Florida
| | - Otar Akanyeti
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, Florida
| | - James C Liao
- The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, Department of Biology, University of Florida, Saint Augustine, Florida
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26
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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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Wu C, Sharma K, Laster K, Hersi M, Torres C, Lukas TJ, Moore EJ. Kcnq1-5 (Kv7.1-5) potassium channel expression in the adult zebrafish. BMC PHYSIOLOGY 2014; 14:1. [PMID: 24555524 PMCID: PMC4016485 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6793-14-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2013] [Accepted: 02/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND KCNQx genes encode slowly activating-inactivating K+ channels, are linked to physiological signal transduction pathways, and mutations in them underlie diseases such as long QT syndrome (KCNQ1), epilepsy in adults (KCNQ2/3), benign familial neonatal convulsions in children (KCNQ3), and hearing loss or tinnitus in humans (KCNQ4, but not KCNQ5). Identification of kcnqx potassium channel transcripts in zebrafish (Danio rerio) remains to be fully characterized although some genes have been mapped to the genome. Using zebrafish genome resources as the source of putative kcnq sequences, we investigated the expression of kcnq1-5 in heart, brain and ear tissues. RESULTS Overall expression of the kcnqx channel transcripts is similar to that found in mammals. We found that kcnq1 expression was highest in the heart, and also present in the ear and brain. kcnq2 was lowest in the heart, while kcnq3 was highly expressed in the brain, heart and ear. kcnq5 expression was highest in the ear. We analyzed zebrafish genomic clones containing putative kcnq4 sequences to identify transcripts and protein for this highly conserved member of the Kcnq channel family. The zebrafish appears to have two kcnq4 genes that produce distinct mRNA species in brain, ear, and heart tissues. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that the zebrafish is an attractive model for the study of the KCNQ (Kv7) superfamily of genes, and are important to processes involved in neuronal excitability, cardiac anomalies, epileptic seizures, and hearing loss or tinnitus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Ernest J Moore
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Biological Chemistry, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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Haden M, Einarsson R, Yazejian B. Patch clamp recordings of hair cells isolated from zebrafish auditory and vestibular end organs. Neuroscience 2013; 248:79-87. [PMID: 23747350 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.05.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2013] [Revised: 05/29/2013] [Accepted: 05/31/2013] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The senses of hearing and balance in vertebrates are transduced by hair cells in the inner ear. Hair cells from a wide variety of organisms have been described electrophysiologically but this is the first report of the application of these techniques to the genetically tractable zebrafish model system. Auditory and vestibular hair cells isolated from zebrafish lagenae and utricles were patch clamped and both inward and outward currents under voltage clamp, and changes in membrane potential under current clamp were recorded. Cells displayed substantial diversity in their morphology, constellation of channel types, and level of excitability. While all cells showed evidence of the presence of fast-inactivating (A-type) K(+) channels, other K(+) channel types, including delayed rectifier, inward rectifier and large conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (BK) channels were less common. Recorded Ca(2+) currents were identified pharmacologically as L-type. Non-linear regenerative voltage responses were evoked in more than half of the cells studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Haden
- Natural Science Division, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA 90263, USA
| | - R Einarsson
- Natural Science Division, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA 90263, USA
| | - B Yazejian
- Natural Science Division, Pepperdine University, Malibu, CA 90263, USA.
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