Amiloride causes changes in the mechanical properties of hair cell bundles in the fish lateral line similar to those induced by dihydrostreptomycin

JEC Wiersinga-Post, SM van Netten*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)
4 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Amiloride is a known blocker of the mechano-electrical transduction current in sensory hair cells. Measurements of cupular motion in the lateral line organ of fish now show that amiloride concurrently changes the micromechanical properties of the hair cell bundles. The effects of amiloride on the mechanics and receptor potentials of the hair cells resemble those previously observed for the aminoglycoside drug dihydrostreptomycin (DHSM) and are similarly antagonized by Ca2+.

We hypothesize that amiloride and DHSM act on hair cells in two correlated ways, which manifest themselves in both the electrical and mechanical properties of the transduction process. One action is the reduction of the transduction current with a concurrent increase in hair bundle stiffness. The other action is a shift of the hair cell's operating point on a current-displacement curve, with a concomitant shift along the associated hair bundle stiffness-displacement curve. The latter action has the opposite effect to that of the first and thus may lead, at relatively low blocker concentrations, to both an increase of transduction current and a decrease in hair bundle stiffness.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)615-623
Number of pages9
JournalProceedings of the Royal Society B
Volume265
Issue number1396
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 7-Apr-1998

Keywords

  • hair cell
  • hair bundle mechanics
  • gating spring
  • lateral line
  • amiloride
  • aminoglycosides
  • MECHANOELECTRICAL TRANSDUCTION CHANNELS
  • BULLFROGS SACCULUS
  • ADAPTATION
  • STEREOCILIA
  • CALCIUM
  • CUPULA
  • ANTIBIOTICS
  • BLOCKS
  • CHICK
  • SITE

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