Active movements of the cuticular plate induce sensory hair motion in mammalian outer hair cells

It has been suggested that active motor capacities may explain the high sensitivity and sharp tuning of auditory transduction in the mammalian cochlea. Recently, slow and fast motile responses of isolated outer hair cells (OHCs) have been demonstrated. These consist of reversible length changes in the cylindrical cell body. Here we show that isolated OHCs are also capable of slow and fast movements of the cuticular plate (CP) which cause passive displacements of the stereocilia. The molecular mechanisms that underlie the slow movements appear to reside in the highly organized actomyosin cytoskeleton in the CP. Additional, fast movements of the CP were observed in OHCs which were exposed to alternating electrical fields. These rapid mechanical events followed the electrical stimulus cycle-by-cycle, and unlike the slow movements, did not depend on the actomyosin skeleton in the CP. The fast motility of the CP and the attached stereocilia suggest an additional active mechanism which may contribute to the sensitivity and the sharp tuning of the cochlea near threshold. By controlling the operating point of the reticular lamina and of the hair bundles, the slow CP and stereociliary movements may influence basilar membrane homeostasis and temporary threshold shift at high sound pressure levels.