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Biophys. J. BioFAST: First Published April 27, 2007. doi:10.1529/biophysj.107.107573
© 2007 by the Biophysical Society.

A more recent version of this article appeared on July 1, 2007.
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BIOPHYSICAL LETTERS

Prestin modulates mechanics and electromechanical force of the plasma membrane

Rui Zhang 1, Feng Qian 1, Lavanya Rajagopalan 2, Fred A Pereira 2, William E Brownell 2 and Bahman Anvari 3*

1 Rice University
2 Baylor College of Medicine
3 University of Califonia Riverside

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: anvari{at}engr.ucr.edu.

Submitted on February 23, 2007
Revised on April 11, 2007
Accepted on 20 April 2007


  Abstract
The voltage-dependent movement, or electromotility, of cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs) contributes to cochlear amplification in mammalian hearing. OHC electromotility involves a membrane-based-motor in which the membrane protein prestin plays a central role. We have investigated the contribution of prestin to the mechanics and electromechanical force (EMF) generation of the membrane using membrane tethers formed from human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells . Several measures of membrane tether mechanics are greater in tethers pulled from HEK cells transfected with prestin when compared to control untransfected HEK cells. A single point mutation of alanine to tryptophan (A100W) in prestin eliminates prestin associated charge movement and diminishes EMF but does not alter passive membrane mechanics. These results suggest that prestin-associated charge transfer is necessary for maximal EMF generation by the membrane.


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M. Drexl, M. M. Mellado Lagarde, J. Zuo, A. N. Lukashkin, and I. J. Russell
The Role of Prestin in the Generation of Electrically Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions in Mice
J Neurophysiol, April 1, 2008; 99(4): 1607 - 1615.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


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Copyright © 2007 by the Biophysical Society.