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The sense of hearing is, quite literally, a molecular tightrope act. Turns out, it involves acrobatics as well.
In a paper published in
Nature Communications on Feb 8, researchers at Harvard Medical School and Boston Children s Hospital show that a dynamic and delicate connection between two pairs of diminutive protein filaments plays a central role in in hearing.
The tension held by these filaments, together called a tip link, is essential for the activation of sensory cells in the inner ear. The team s analyses reveal that the filaments, which are joined end-to-end, work together like trapeze artists holding hands. Their grasp on each other can be disrupted, by a loud noise, for example. But with a two-handed grip, they can quickly reconnect when one hand slips.