Hair Cell Transduction
Hair Cell Transduction - Related Videos
05:28
Targeted Expression of GFP in the Hair Follicle Using Ex Vivo Viral Transduction
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Cited by 1 •
2008
The hair follicle is a highly complex appendage of the skin containing a multiplicity of cell types. The follicle undergoes constant cycling through the life of the organism including growth and resorption with growth dependent on specific stem cells. The targeting of the follicle by genes and stem cells to change its properties, in particular, the nature of the hair shaft is, discussed. Hair follicle delivery systems are described, such as liposomes and viral vectors for gene therapy. The...
01:22
Hair Cells
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2019
Hair cells are the sensory receptors of the auditory system—they transduce mechanical sound waves into electrical energy that the nervous system can understand. Hair cells are located in the organ of Corti within the cochlea of the inner ear, between the basilar and tectorial membranes. The actual sensory receptors are called inner hair cells. The outer hair cells serve other functions, such as sound amplification in the cochlea, and are not discussed in detail here. Hair cells are named after...
10:14
Retroviral Transduction of T-cell Receptors in Mouse T-cells
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Cited by 21 •
2010
We present a protocol to produce antigen-specific mouse T-cells using retroviral...
14:03
Transduction of Human Cells with Polymer-complexed Ecotropic Lentivirus for Enhanced Biosafety
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Cited by 8 •
2011
Lentiviruses are a valuable research tool for exploring gene function; however, researchers may wish to avoid production of pantropic lentivirus encoding known or suspected oncogenes. As an alternative, we present a safer protocol for use of ecotropic lentivirus on human cells modified to express the ecotropic receptor mSlc7a1.
12:43
Patch Clamp Recordings in Inner Ear Hair Cells Isolated from Zebrafish
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Cited by 9 •
2012
The purpose of this video is to demonstrate procedures for obtaining healthy, intact hair cells from the inner ear organs of adult zebrafish and then using them for patch clamp studies aimed at characterizing the biophysical properties of their voltage-gated channels.
FAQs
Tip links provide the mechanical coupling between neighboring stereocilia that allows deflection to affect ion-channel gating. Movement increases tension in these links, promoting channel opening and initiating the electrical response of the hair cell. Because this connection is central to mechanosensitivity, damage to tip links can disrupt signal generation even when other cellular structures remain present.
Opening of the mechanically gated channels changes the hair cell’s electrical state, producing a receptor potential. That potential regulates neurotransmitter release at the connection between the hair cell and an auditory or vestibular neuron. This sequence links a local mechanical event to neural communication, allowing sensory information to enter pathways responsible for hearing or balance.
The same general transduction strategy serves two sensory roles, but the incoming mechanical signals differ. Sound-driven vibrations provide information relevant to hearing, whereas head movements provide information relevant to balance and spatial orientation. Studying these parallel functions helps distinguish how hair cells convert different forms of movement into neural signals used by separate sensory systems.
These structures occupy different points in the signaling pathway, so defects can interfere with mechanical detection, channel gating, or electrical output. Examining them helps researchers connect cellular abnormalities with hearing or balance disorders. This component-based view also identifies where a disruption occurs, which is important when evaluating strategies aimed at sensory restoration or therapeutic intervention.
A useful analysis follows the pathway from mechanical movement to neural communication: determine how stereocilia are deflected, assess the role of tip-link tension in channel opening, evaluate the resulting receptor potential, and consider its effect on neurotransmitter release. Following this order separates mechanical, electrical, and synaptic stages and clarifies how each contributes to sensory encoding.
Investigations can clarify how the nervous system represents sound, acceleration, and spatial orientation, while also revealing how cellular defects produce sensory dysfunction. These findings extend beyond describing normal signaling: they provide a mechanistic basis for studying hearing and balance disorders and for developing research directions focused on restoring damaged sensory function or improving therapeutic strategies.