Much is known about the mechanotransducer (MT) channels mediating transduction in hair
cells of the vertrbrate inner ear. With the use of isolated preparations, it is experimentally …

Various cellular processes (including cell motility) are driven by the regulated, polarized
assembly of actin filaments into distinct force-producing arrays of defined size and …

Organisms of all phyla express mechanosensitive ion channels with a wide range of
physiological functions. In recent years, several classes of mechanically gated ion channels …

Inner ear hair cells detect sound through deflection of stereocilia, the microvilli-like
projections that are arranged in rows of graded heights. Calcium and integrin-binding …

The vertebrate inner ear is a sensory organ of exquisite design and sensitivity. It responds to
sound, gravity and movement, serving both auditory (hearing) and vestibular (balance) …

Sensory neurons use specialized apical processes to perceive external stimuli and monitor
internal body conditions. The apical apparatus can include cilia, microvilli, or both, and is …

Mechanotransducer channels at the tips of sensory stereocilia of inner ear hair cells are
gated by the tension of'tip links' interconnecting stereocilia. To ensure maximal sensitivity, tip …

Actin-rich structures, like stereocilia and microvilli, are assembled with precise control of
length, diameter, and relative spacing. By quantifying actin-core dimensions of stereocilia …

Assembly of the hair bundle, the sensory organelle of the inner ear, depends on differential
growth of actin-based stereocilia. Separate rows of stereocilia, labeled 1 through 3 from …

Auditory sensory hair cells depend on stereocilia with precisely regulated lengths to detect
sound. Since stereocilia are primarily composed of crosslinked, parallel actin filaments …