Editor's Summary
1 November 2007
First steps towards hearing
Electrical activity occurs in the developing auditory system before sound can be detected by the inner ear, and this spontaneous activity is required for maturation of auditory neurons and to establish auditory pathways in the brain. The mechanism behind this effect has been uncovered in a series of experiments in the cochlear coils of rats. Supporting cells in Kölliker's organ — a transient epithelial structure in the developing cochlea — spontaneously release ATP, activating the inner hair cells and auditory nerve fibres. This activity stops when hearing begins, so that the detection of sound is not impeded. It is possible that reactivation of this pathway could contribute to sensory-independent activity in peripheral tinnitus.
News and Views: Hearing: A fantasia on Kölliker's organ
In the silence that precedes the onset of hearing in the developing auditory system, it seems that the cells of a transient structure known as Kölliker's organ are capable of generating their own 'virtual' music.
Ian D. Forsythe
doi:10.1038/450043a
Article: The origin of spontaneous activity in the developing auditory system
Nicolas X. Tritsch, Eunyoung Yi, Jonathan E. Gale, Elisabeth Glowatzki & Dwight E. Bergles
doi:10.1038/nature06233
Abstract | Full Text | PDF (4,118K) | Supplementary information