Year: 2010
Type: article
Abstract: Prestin is a voltage-dependent membrane-spanning motor protein that confers electromotility on mammalian cochlear outer hair cells, which is essential for normal hearing of mammals. Voltage-induced charge movement in the prestin molecule is converted into mechanical work; however, little is known about the molecular mechanism of this process. For understanding the electromechanical coupling mechanism of prestin, we simultaneously measured voltage-dependent charge movement and electromotility under conditions in which the magnitudes of both charge movement and electromotility are gradually manipulated by the prestin inhibitor, salicylate. We show that the observed relationships of the charge movement and the physical displacement (q-d relations) are well represented by a three-state Boltzmann model but not by a two-state model or its previously proposed variant. Here, we suggest a molecular mechanism of prestin with at least two voltage-dependent conformational transition steps having distinct electromechanical coupling efficiencies.
Source: Journal of Biological Chemistry
Authors: Kazuaki Homma, Peter Dallos
Institution: Northwestern University
Language: English
Subfield: Sensory Systems
Field: Neuroscience
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,430
OpenAlex ID: W1990864709