Ashmore J F, Géléoc G S, Harbott L
Department of Physiology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000 Oct 24;97(22):11759-64. doi: 10.1073/pnas.97.22.11759.
Mammalian hearing depends on the enhanced mechanical properties of the basilar membrane within the cochlear duct. The enhancement arises through the action of outer hair cells that act like force generators within the organ of Corti. Simple considerations show that underlying mechanism of somatic motility depends on local area changes within the lateral membrane of the cell. The molecular basis for this phenomenon is a dense array of particles that are inserted into the basolateral membrane and that are capable of sensing membrane potential field. We show here that outer hair cells selectively take up fructose, at rates high enough to suggest that a sugar transporter may be part of the motor complex. The relation of these findings to a recent candidate for the molecular motor is also discussed.
哺乳动物的听力取决于耳蜗管内基底膜增强的机械性能。这种增强是通过外毛细胞的作用产生的，外毛细胞在柯蒂氏器中起着力发生器的作用。简单的思考表明，体细胞运动的潜在机制取决于细胞侧膜内的局部面积变化。这种现象的分子基础是插入基底外侧膜的密集颗粒阵列，这些颗粒能够感知膜电位场。我们在此表明，外毛细胞以足够高的速率选择性摄取果糖，这表明糖转运体可能是运动复合体的一部分。还讨论了这些发现与最近分子马达候选物的关系。
