Brevican “nets” voltage-gated calcium channels at the hair cell ribbon synapse
Abstract During hearing in mammals, “sensorineural” inner hair cells convert sound wave-generated mechanical input into electrical activity, resulting in glutamate release onto type I spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) at specialized synapses known as “ribbon synapses”. New findings published here in BM...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2018-09-01
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| Series: | BMC Biology |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12915-018-0575-7 |
| Summary: | Abstract During hearing in mammals, “sensorineural” inner hair cells convert sound wave-generated mechanical input into electrical activity, resulting in glutamate release onto type I spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) at specialized synapses known as “ribbon synapses”. New findings published here in BMC Biology by Sonntag and colleagues indicate a role for the proteoglycan Brevican in forming perineurounal net (PNN) baskets at these synapses and controlling the spatial distribution of presynaptic voltage-gated calcium channels that regulate glutamate release. These findings may provide insight into the mechanism by which individual ribbon synapses within a single hair cell can function in an independent manner to facilitate hearing within a broad dynamic range. |
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| ISSN: | 1741-7007 |