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Nature 405, 149-155 (11 May 2000) | doi:10.1038/35012009; Received 6 December 1999; Accepted 28 March 2000

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Prestin is the motor protein of cochlear outer hair cells

Jing Zheng1, Weixing Shen1, David Z. Z. He1, Kevin B. Long2, Laird D. Madison2 & Peter Dallos1

  1. Auditory Physiology Laboratory (The Hugh Knowles Center), Departments of Neurobiology and Physiology and Communciation Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
  2. Center for Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA

Correspondence to: Peter Dallos1 Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to P.D. (e-mail: Email: p-dallos@nwu.edu). Pres has been deposited in the GenBank under accession number AF230376.

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The outer and inner hair cells of the mammalian cochlea perform different functions. In response to changes in membrane potential, the cylindrical outer hair cell rapidly alters its length and stiffness. These mechanical changes, driven by putative molecular motors, are assumed to produce amplification of vibrations in the cochlea that are transduced by inner hair cells. Here we have identified an abundant complementary DNA from a gene, designated Prestin, which is specifically expressed in outer hair cells. Regions of the encoded protein show moderate sequence similarity to pendrin and related sulphate/anion transport proteins. Voltage-induced shape changes can be elicited in cultured human kidney cells that express prestin. The mechanical response of outer hair cells to voltage change is accompanied by a 'gating current', which is manifested as nonlinear capacitance. We also demonstrate this nonlinear capacitance in transfected kidney cells. We conclude that prestin is the motor protein of the cochlear outer hair cell.

  1. Auditory Physiology Laboratory (The Hugh Knowles Center), Departments of Neurobiology and Physiology and Communciation Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, USA
  2. Center for Endocrinology, Metabolism, and Molecular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA

Correspondence to: Peter Dallos1 Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to P.D. (e-mail: Email: p-dallos@nwu.edu). Pres has been deposited in the GenBank under accession number AF230376.