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Proceedings of the National Academy of... Jun 2023Functional molecular characterization of the cochlea has mainly been driven by the deciphering of the genetic architecture of sensorineural deafness. As a result, the...
Functional molecular characterization of the cochlea has mainly been driven by the deciphering of the genetic architecture of sensorineural deafness. As a result, the search for curative treatments, which are sorely lacking in the hearing field, has become a potentially achievable objective, particularly cochlear gene and cell therapies. To this end, a complete inventory of cochlear cell types, with an in-depth characterization of their gene expression profiles right up to their final differentiation, is indispensable. We therefore generated a single-cell transcriptomic atlas of the mouse cochlea based on an analysis of more than 120,000 cells on postnatal day 8 (P8), during the prehearing period, P12, corresponding to hearing onset, and P20, when cochlear maturation is almost complete. By combining whole-cell and nuclear transcript analyses with extensive in situ RNA hybridization assays, we characterized the transcriptomic signatures covering nearly all cochlear cell types and developed cell type-specific markers. Three cell types were discovered; two of them contribute to the modiolus which houses the primary auditory neurons and blood vessels, and the third one consists in cells lining the scala vestibuli. The results also shed light on the molecular basis of the tonotopic gradient of the biophysical characteristics of the basilar membrane that critically underlies cochlear passive sound frequency analysis. Finally, overlooked expression of deafness genes in several cochlear cell types was also unveiled. This atlas paves the way for the deciphering of the gene regulatory networks controlling cochlear cell differentiation and maturation, essential for the development of effective targeted treatments.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Transcriptome; Cochlea; Basilar Membrane; Hearing; Deafness
PubMed: 37339214
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221744120 -
Annual Review of Neuroscience Jul 2018Hearing is often viewed as a passive process: Sound enters the ear, triggers a cascade of activity through the auditory system, and culminates in an auditory percept. In... (Review)
Review
Hearing is often viewed as a passive process: Sound enters the ear, triggers a cascade of activity through the auditory system, and culminates in an auditory percept. In contrast to a passive process, motor-related signals strongly modulate the auditory system from the eardrum to the cortex. The motor modulation of auditory activity is most well documented during speech and other vocalizations but also can be detected during a wide variety of other sound-generating behaviors. An influential idea is that these motor-related signals suppress neural responses to predictable movement-generated sounds, thereby enhancing sensitivity to environmental sounds during movement while helping to detect errors in learned acoustic behaviors, including speech and musicianship. Findings in humans, monkeys, songbirds, and mice provide new insights into the circuits that convey motor-related signals to the auditory system, while lending support to the idea that these signals function predictively to facilitate hearing and vocal learning.
Topics: Acoustic Stimulation; Animals; Auditory Pathways; Hearing; Humans; Movement; Vocalization, Animal
PubMed: 29986164
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-neuro-072116-031215 -
Current Opinion in Neurobiology Oct 2015The dissection of the Drosophila auditory system has revealed multiple parallels between fly and vertebrate hearing. Recent studies have analyzed the operation of... (Review)
Review
The dissection of the Drosophila auditory system has revealed multiple parallels between fly and vertebrate hearing. Recent studies have analyzed the operation of auditory sensory cells and the processing of sound in the fly's brain. Neuronal responses to sound have been characterized, and novel classes of auditory neurons have been defined; transient receptor potential (TRP) channels were implicated in auditory transduction, and genetic and environmental causes of auditory dysfunctions have been identified. This review discusses the implications of these recent advances on our understanding of how hearing happens in the fly.
Topics: Animals; Drosophila; Hearing
PubMed: 25710304
DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2015.02.001 -
Hearing Research Dec 2022Epigenetic factors are critically important for embryonic and postnatal development. Over the past decade, substantial technological advancements have occurred that now... (Review)
Review
Epigenetic factors are critically important for embryonic and postnatal development. Over the past decade, substantial technological advancements have occurred that now permit the study of epigenetic mechanisms that govern all aspects of inner ear development, from otocyst patterning to maturation and maintenance of hair cell stereocilia. In this review, we highlight how three major classes of epigenetic regulation (DNA methylation, histone modification, and chromatin remodeling) are essential for the development of the inner ear. We highlight open avenues for research and discuss how new tools enable the employment of epigenetic factors in regenerative and therapeutic approaches for hearing and balance disorders.
Topics: Epigenesis, Genetic; Hearing; Otolithic Membrane; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
PubMed: 35063312
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2022.108440 -
European Journal of Cell Biology 2022The inner ear is composed by tiny and complex structures that, together with peripheral and central auditory pathways, are responsible for hearing processing. However,... (Review)
Review
The inner ear is composed by tiny and complex structures that, together with peripheral and central auditory pathways, are responsible for hearing processing. However, not only the anatomy of the cochlea, its compartments and related structures are complex. The mechanisms involved in the regulation of homeostasis in the inner ear fluid, which determines the ionic gradient necessary for hearing and balancing sensory excitability, is an intricate phenomenon that involves several molecules. Among them, Aquaporins (AQP) play a significant role in this process. AQP are part of a family of small, integral membrane proteins that regulate different processes, including bidirectional water and ionic flow in the inner ear. Changes in the expression of these proteins are essential to auditory physiology and several pathophysiological processes in the inner ear. This review focuses on the role of AQP in health and disease of the auditory system.
Topics: Aquaporins; Cochlea; Ear, Inner; Hearing
PubMed: 35779359
DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2022.151252 -
Current Biology : CB Jun 2017The marine environment is the planet's largest, yet in many respects the least accessible. Our human sensory repertoire, with its emphasis on vision and air-adapted...
The marine environment is the planet's largest, yet in many respects the least accessible. Our human sensory repertoire, with its emphasis on vision and air-adapted hearing, does not serve us well underwater. Underwater vision is often limited and as divers we find hearing of little, or no, use. Yet we know from the physics that underwater sound has properties well suited to serve as sensory and communication channels for suitably-adapted marine animals. The rapidly developing area of marine bioacoustics seeks to characterise underwater sound in relation to the acoustic capability of particular species (acoustic habitat), and discover the role of acoustics in the lives of marine animals (acoustic ecology) (Clarke et al., 2011).
Topics: Acoustics; Animals; Aquatic Organisms; Hearing; Marine Biology; Oceans and Seas; Sound
PubMed: 28586687
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.01.041 -
Function (Oxford, England) 2022
Topics: Hearing; Hearing Tests
PubMed: 35402920
DOI: 10.1093/function/zqab068 -
Hearing Research Jun 2009
Topics: Animals; Auditory Cortex; Auditory Perception; Female; Gonadal Steroid Hormones; Hearing; Humans; Male
PubMed: 19531444
DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2009.05.005 -
Frontiers in Neural Circuits 2022Mate choice is a potent generator of diversity and a fundamental pillar for sexual selection and evolution. Mate choice is a multistage affair, where complex sensory... (Review)
Review
Mate choice is a potent generator of diversity and a fundamental pillar for sexual selection and evolution. Mate choice is a multistage affair, where complex sensory information and elaborate actions are used to identify, scrutinize, and evaluate potential mating partners. While widely accepted that communication during mate assessment relies on multimodal cues, most studies investigating the mechanisms controlling this fundamental behavior have restricted their focus to the dominant sensory modality used by the species under examination, such as vision in humans and smell in rodents. However, despite their undeniable importance for the initial recognition, attraction, and approach towards a potential mate, other modalities gain relevance as the interaction progresses, amongst which are touch and audition. In this review, we will: (1) focus on recent findings of how touch and audition can contribute to the evaluation and choice of mating partners, and (2) outline our current knowledge regarding the neuronal circuits processing touch and audition (amongst others) in the context of mate choice and ask (3) how these neural circuits are connected to areas that have been studied in the light of multisensory integration.
Topics: Auditory Perception; Hearing; Humans; Smell; Touch; Touch Perception
PubMed: 36247731
DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2022.943888 -
Lin Chuang Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai... Sep 2022Implantable bonebridge(BB) is suitable for patients over 5 years with conductive/mixed hearing loss and unilateral deafness, and the surgical approach depends on the... (Review)
Review
Implantable bonebridge(BB) is suitable for patients over 5 years with conductive/mixed hearing loss and unilateral deafness, and the surgical approach depends on the anatomical structure of the patient's ear. Recent studies have shown that compared with other implantable hearing devices, implantable BB have more efficient hearing gain and lower incidence of complications. However, the postoperative effect of implantable BB on unilateral deafness patients and the poor compensation of low-frequency hearing threshold need to be further studied. This article reviews the clinical research on implantable BB, so as to provide some reference for clinicians to select hearing devices for patients individually.
Topics: Bone Conduction; Hearing; Hearing Aids; Hearing Loss, Conductive; Hearing Loss, Mixed Conductive-Sensorineural; Hearing Loss, Unilateral; Humans
PubMed: 36036078
DOI: 10.13201/j.issn.2096-7993.2022.09.016