Molecular basis of Prestin’s electromotility and sound discrimination

Prestin 电动性和声音辨别的分子基础

• 批准号: DE220101424
• 负责人: Dr Navid Bavi
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: The University of New South Wales
• 依托单位国家: 澳大利亚
• 项目类别: Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 澳大利亚
• 起止时间: 2022-12-31 至 2022-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://dataportal.arc.gov.au/RGS/Web/Grants/DE220101424
• 关键词: Molecular; basis; Prestin; electromotility; sound

Sonar animals like whales can hear at exceptionally high frequencies allowing them to echolocate. Humans, though, can hear at much higher frequencies than reptiles and birds. Frequency sensing mainly depends on a protein in the ear called Prestin. Currently, the structure and working mechanism of Prestin is unknown. This project aims to characterize how Prestin responds to high frequencies by probing the electro-mechanical force generated using mechanically gated channels as a reporter. Single particle cryo-electron microscopy will also be used to visualize Prestin’s 3D structure. Together, this DECRA project will elucidate the molecular basis of hearing differences across species and reshapes our understanding of the evolution of hearing.

像鲸鱼这样的声纳动物可以听到非常高的频率，使它们能够进行回声定位。然而，人类可以听到比爬行动物和鸟类高得多的频率。频率感应主要依赖于耳朵中一种叫做普雷斯廷的蛋白质。目前，普雷斯廷的结构和作用机制尚不清楚。该项目旨在通过探测使用机械门控通道作为报告者产生的机电力来表征普雷斯廷如何对高频作出响应。单粒子冷冻电子显微镜也将用于可视化普雷斯廷的三维结构。总之，这个DECRA项目将阐明不同物种之间听觉差异的分子基础，并重塑我们对听觉进化的理解。