Mammano F, Bortolozzi M. Ca
2+ signaling, apoptosis and autophagy in the developing cochlea: Milestones to hearing acquisition.
Cell Calcium 2017;
70:117-126. [PMID:
28578918 DOI:
10.1016/j.ceca.2017.05.006]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 05/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
In mammals, the sense of hearing arises through a complex sequence of morphogenetic events that drive the sculpting of the auditory sensory epithelium into its terminally functional three-dimensional shape. While the majority of the underlying mechanisms remain unknown, it has become increasingly clear that Ca2+ signaling is at center stage and plays numerous fundamental roles both in the sensory hair cells and in the matrix of non-sensory, epithelial and supporting cells, which embed them and are tightly interconnected by a dense network of gap junctions formed by connexin 26 (Cx26) and connexin 30 (Cx30) protein subunits. In this review, we discuss the intricate interplay between Ca2+ signaling, connexin expression and function, apoptosis and autophagy in the crucial steps that lead to hearing acquisition.
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