Sunday, September 09, 2007

Hearing: Protein duo make up tip links
Tip links, the filamentous structures found on certain cells in the inner ear, are made up of two proteins. This finding offers insights into the mechanisms underlying certain forms of deafness.

The hair cells of the inner ear have tiny hair-like projections that help convert head movement and sound into electrochemical signals, which are then perceived as balance and hearing. In a rodent study, Ulrich Müller and colleagues now show that tip links — the structures connecting the tips of these projections — are made from two proteins, cadherin 23 and protocadherin 15.

Mutation of these cadherins causes deafness in humans, and one such mutation disrupts the interactions between the two molecules. The study has implications for understanding cadherin function.

CONTACT

Ulrich Muller (The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA)
Tel: +1 858 784 7288; E-mail: umueller@scripps.edu

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