Hair bundles of cochlear outer hair cells are shaped to minimize their fluid-dynamic resistance
Abstract The mammalian sense of hearing relies on two types of sensory cells: inner hair cells transmit the auditory stimulus to the brain, while outer hair cells mechanically modulate the stimulus through active feedback. Stimulation of a hair cell is mediated by displacements of its mechanosensiti...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2017-06-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-03773-y |
| _version_ | 1818851157939847168 |
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| author | Nikola Ciganović Amanuel Wolde-Kidan Tobias Reichenbach |
| author_facet | Nikola Ciganović Amanuel Wolde-Kidan Tobias Reichenbach |
| author_sort | Nikola Ciganović |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The mammalian sense of hearing relies on two types of sensory cells: inner hair cells transmit the auditory stimulus to the brain, while outer hair cells mechanically modulate the stimulus through active feedback. Stimulation of a hair cell is mediated by displacements of its mechanosensitive hair bundle which protrudes from the apical surface of the cell into a narrow fluid-filled space between reticular lamina and tectorial membrane. While hair bundles of inner hair cells are of linear shape, those of outer hair cells exhibit a distinctive V-shape. The biophysical rationale behind this morphology, however, remains unknown. Here we use analytical and computational methods to study the fluid flow across rows of differently shaped hair bundles. We find that rows of V-shaped hair bundles have a considerably reduced resistance to crossflow, and that the biologically observed shapes of hair bundles of outer hair cells are near-optimal in this regard. This observation accords with the function of outer hair cells and lends support to the recent hypothesis that inner hair cells are stimulated by a net flow, in addition to the well-established shear flow that arises from shearing between the reticular lamina and the tectorial membrane. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T07:00:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d9c5da6cb14b4793b531c31639c9f9ac |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T07:00:34Z |
| publishDate | 2017-06-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-d9c5da6cb14b4793b531c31639c9f9ac2022-12-21T20:31:25ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222017-06-01711910.1038/s41598-017-03773-yHair bundles of cochlear outer hair cells are shaped to minimize their fluid-dynamic resistanceNikola Ciganović0Amanuel Wolde-Kidan1Tobias Reichenbach2Imperial College London, Department of BioengineeringFreie Universität Berlin, Department of PhysicsImperial College London, Department of BioengineeringAbstract The mammalian sense of hearing relies on two types of sensory cells: inner hair cells transmit the auditory stimulus to the brain, while outer hair cells mechanically modulate the stimulus through active feedback. Stimulation of a hair cell is mediated by displacements of its mechanosensitive hair bundle which protrudes from the apical surface of the cell into a narrow fluid-filled space between reticular lamina and tectorial membrane. While hair bundles of inner hair cells are of linear shape, those of outer hair cells exhibit a distinctive V-shape. The biophysical rationale behind this morphology, however, remains unknown. Here we use analytical and computational methods to study the fluid flow across rows of differently shaped hair bundles. We find that rows of V-shaped hair bundles have a considerably reduced resistance to crossflow, and that the biologically observed shapes of hair bundles of outer hair cells are near-optimal in this regard. This observation accords with the function of outer hair cells and lends support to the recent hypothesis that inner hair cells are stimulated by a net flow, in addition to the well-established shear flow that arises from shearing between the reticular lamina and the tectorial membrane.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-03773-y |
| spellingShingle | Nikola Ciganović Amanuel Wolde-Kidan Tobias Reichenbach Hair bundles of cochlear outer hair cells are shaped to minimize their fluid-dynamic resistance Scientific Reports |
| title | Hair bundles of cochlear outer hair cells are shaped to minimize their fluid-dynamic resistance |
| title_full | Hair bundles of cochlear outer hair cells are shaped to minimize their fluid-dynamic resistance |
| title_fullStr | Hair bundles of cochlear outer hair cells are shaped to minimize their fluid-dynamic resistance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hair bundles of cochlear outer hair cells are shaped to minimize their fluid-dynamic resistance |
| title_short | Hair bundles of cochlear outer hair cells are shaped to minimize their fluid-dynamic resistance |
| title_sort | hair bundles of cochlear outer hair cells are shaped to minimize their fluid dynamic resistance |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-03773-y |
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