Biophysical properties and function of primary auditory neurons

初级听觉神经元的生物物理特性和功能

• 批准号: 9099113
• 负责人: RADHA KALLURI
• 金额: $ 6.36万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2015
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2015-08-16 至 2017-02-28
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9099113
• 关键词: Acoustic Nerve; Affect; Afferent Neurons; Age; Animal Experiments; Auditory; Brain; Categories; Cells; Cochlea; Computer Simulation; Dendrites; Dependence; Ear; Environment; Glutamates; Goals; Hair Cells; Health; Hearing; Hodgkin Disease; In Vitro; Inner Hair Cells; Ion Channel; Label; Measures; Membrane Proteins; Modeling; Morphology; Neurons; Organ of Corti; Pattern; Peripheral; Phenotype; Physiological; Physiology; Population; Preparation; Presbycusis; Property; Rattus; Relative (related person); Role; Shapes; Synapses; Synaptic Membranes; Testing; Time; Work; base; biophysical properties; density; functional group; in vivo; nerve supply; neuronal cell body; patch clamp; research study; response; sound; spiral ganglion

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Our goals are to understand whether the intrinsic ion-channel properties of auditory neurons shape their function. Specifically, we want to understand how some groups of Type I auditory neurons encode low-intensity sounds whereas others encode high-intensity sounds. The mechanisms shaping these response features are unknown but are likely to rely on both pre- and post-synaptic specializations. Recordings from the isolated somata of auditory neurons suggest that diversity in ion channel properties may influence their response, but a clear correlation has not been demonstrated. To make direct correlations, we propose to use semi-intact in vitro preparations of rat cochleae that preserve the anatomical and functional connections between the spiral ganglion and organ of Corti. The approach brings together whole-cell patch-clamp recordings, neuronal labeling, morphometric analysis, and computational modeling to explore how the biophysical properties intrinsic to primary auditory afferent neurons shape their physiological responses. Furthermore, because our experiments are from animals at ages before and after the onset of hearing, we can characterize the time course over which Type I auditory neurons' mature biophysically and morphologically into distinct functional groups.

描述（由申请人提供）：我们的目标是了解听觉神经元的固有离子通道特性是否会塑造其功能。具体来说，我们想了解一些I型听觉神经元的某些组如何编码低强度的声音，而其他类型的神经元如何编码高强度的声音。塑造这些响应特征的机制尚不清楚，但很可能依赖于突触前和突触后的专长。孤立的录音 听觉神经元的Somata表明，离子通道特性的多样性可能会影响其反应，但尚未证明明显的相关性。为了建立直接相关性，我们建议使用大鼠耳蜗的半完整体外制剂，以保留Corti的螺旋神经节和器官之间的解剖和功能连接。该方法汇集了全细胞斑块钳记录，神经元标记，形态计量学分析和计算建模，以探讨生物物理特性如何固有的一级听觉传入神经元固有地塑造其生理反应。此外，由于我们的实验来自听证会开始前后的动物，因此我们可以表征I型听觉神经元在生物物理和形态上成熟的成熟神经元中的时间过程，分为不同的功能组。