Myosin light chain kinase regulates hearing in mice by influencing the F-actin cytoskeleton of outer hair cells and cochleae

  • Authors:
    • Xia Yang
    • Jun-Guo Wang
    • Deng-Bin Ma
    • Xiao-Feng Ma
    • Guang-Jie Zhu
    • Han Zhou
    • Chen-Jie Yu
    • Xiao-Yun Qian
    • Xia Gao
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: January 27, 2014     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2014.1634
  • Pages: 905-912
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Abstract

Myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) phosphorylates myosin regulatory light chains to facilitate its interaction with actin filaments and produce contractile activity. The outer hair cells (OHCs) in the ear contain large amounts of actin and a variety myosins. The stereociliary and somatic motility of OHCs are closely related to hearing. It appears likely that MLCK may play an important role in acoustic trans­duction. In this study, we analyzed, both in vivo and in vitro, the OHCs of mice bearing a specific deletion of the MLCK gene and the OHCs of control mice. The phenotype was assessed by auditory function [acoustic brainstem responses (ABRs) and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs)], inner ear morphology and histology. MLCK-deficient mice aged 6-7 months showed impaired hearing, a 5- to 10-dB sound pressure level (SPL) increase in the ABR thresholds, when responding to clicks and tones of different frequencies (8 and 16 kHz) (P<0.05). The DPOAE amplitudes of 3-month-old MLCK-deficient mice decreased significantly (>10 dB SPL) at low frequencies (4, 5 and 6 kHz). The OHCs in the MLCK-deficient mice increased with abnormal stereocilia. The staining of F-actin and the phosphorylation of the regulatory light chain in MLCK-deficient OHCs was weak. Our results indicate that MLCK may regulate the structure and the motility of stereocilia through F-actin polymerization.
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2014-April
Volume 33 Issue 4

Print ISSN: 1107-3756
Online ISSN:1791-244X

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Spandidos Publications style
Yang X, Wang J, Ma D, Ma X, Zhu G, Zhou H, Yu C, Qian X and Gao X: Myosin light chain kinase regulates hearing in mice by influencing the F-actin cytoskeleton of outer hair cells and cochleae. Int J Mol Med 33: 905-912, 2014
APA
Yang, X., Wang, J., Ma, D., Ma, X., Zhu, G., Zhou, H. ... Gao, X. (2014). Myosin light chain kinase regulates hearing in mice by influencing the F-actin cytoskeleton of outer hair cells and cochleae. International Journal of Molecular Medicine, 33, 905-912. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2014.1634
MLA
Yang, X., Wang, J., Ma, D., Ma, X., Zhu, G., Zhou, H., Yu, C., Qian, X., Gao, X."Myosin light chain kinase regulates hearing in mice by influencing the F-actin cytoskeleton of outer hair cells and cochleae". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 33.4 (2014): 905-912.
Chicago
Yang, X., Wang, J., Ma, D., Ma, X., Zhu, G., Zhou, H., Yu, C., Qian, X., Gao, X."Myosin light chain kinase regulates hearing in mice by influencing the F-actin cytoskeleton of outer hair cells and cochleae". International Journal of Molecular Medicine 33, no. 4 (2014): 905-912. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2014.1634