AI Article Synopsis

  • Type I spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) help send sound signals from inner hair cells (IHCs) in our ears to the brain.
  • Scientists found that a protein called BAI1 is important for grouping special receptors (AMPA receptors) where these signals happen.
  • Mice without BAI1 can’t pass sound information to SGNs properly, even though their inner hair cells are okay, showing how important BAI1 is for hearing.

Article Abstract

Type I spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) convey sound information to the central auditory pathway by forming synapses with inner hair cells (IHCs) in the mammalian cochlea. The molecular mechanisms regulating the formation of the post-synaptic density (PSD) in the SGN afferent terminals are still unclear. Here, we demonstrate that brain-specific angiogenesis inhibitor 1 (BAI1) is required for the clustering of AMPA receptors GluR2-4 (glutamate receptors 2-4) at the PSD. Adult Bai1-deficient mice have functional IHCs but fail to transmit information to the SGNs, leading to highly raised hearing thresholds. Despite the almost complete absence of AMPA receptor subunits, the SGN fibers innervating the IHCs do not degenerate. Furthermore, we show that AMPA receptors are still expressed in the cochlea of Bai1-deficient mice, highlighting a role for BAI1 in trafficking or anchoring GluR2-4 to the PSDs. These findings identify molecular and functional mechanisms required for sound encoding at cochlear ribbon synapses.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2024.114025DOI Listing

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