@article{23feb2b81ec3497b86c58fb775b8c470,
title = "Distribution of the Na,K-ATPase α subunit in the rat spiral ganglion and organ of corti",
abstract = "Processing of sound in the cochlea involves both afferent and efferent innervation. The Na,K-ATPase (NKA) is essential for cells that maintain hyperpolarized membrane potentials and sodium and potassium concentration gradients. Heterogeneity of NKA subunit expression is one mechanism that tailors physiology to particular cellular demands. Therefore, to provide insight into molecular differences that distinguish the various innervation pathways in the cochlea, we performed a variety of double labeling experiments with antibodies against three of the α isoforms of the NKA (NKAα1-3) and markers identifying particular subsets of neurons or supporting cells in whole mount preparations of the organ of Corti and spiral ganglion. We found that the NKAα3 is abundantly expressed within the membranes of the spiral ganglion somata, the type I afferent terminals contacting the inner hair cells, and the medial efferent terminals contacting the outer hair cells. We also found expression of the NKAα1 in the supporting cells that neighbor the inner hair cells and express the glutamate transporter GLAST. These findings suggest that both the NKAα1 and NKAα3 are poised to play an essential role in the regulation of the type I afferent synapses, the medial efferent synapses, and also glutamate transport from the afferent-inner hair cell synapse.",
keywords = "Afferent, Auditory nerve, Efferent, Hair cell, Hearing",
author = "McLean, {Will J.} and Smith, {K. Anne} and Elisabeth Glowatzki and Pyott, {Sonja J.}",
note = "Funding Information: We would like to thank Mr. D. Mark Gay and Dr. Richard Dillaman at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington for excellent assistance with confocal microscopy, Dr. Paul A. Fuchs at the Johns Hopkins University for scientific advice and comments on the manuscript, Dr. Richard W. Aldrich at the University of Texas at Austin for supporting the preliminary experiments performed in his laboratory then at Stanford University, and Dr. Kathleen J. Sweadner at the Massachusetts General Hospital and the Harvard Medical School for advice and recommendations regarding antibodies against the Na,K-ATPase. The α6F monoclonal antibody developed by Dr. Douglas Fambrough was obtained from the Developmental Studies Hybridoma Bank developed under the auspices of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and maintained by the University of Iowa, Department of Biological Sciences, Iowa City, IA 52242. The monoclonal antibody anti-HERED was generously provided by Dr. Thomas Pressley at the Texas Tech University. The monoclonal antibody K58/23 was generously provided by Dr. James Trimmer at the University of California at Davis. This work was supported by National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders grants (DC00276 to Dr. Paul Fuchs and DC006476 to E. G.), a research award from the National Organization for Hearing Research (to S. J. P), a new investigator research award from the American Academy of Audiology (to S. J. P.) and a research grant from the Deafness Research Foundation (to S. J. P.).",
year = "2009",
month = mar,
doi = "10.1007/s10162-008-0152-9",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "10",
pages = "37--49",
journal = "JARO - Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology",
issn = "1525-3961",
publisher = "Springer New York",
number = "1",
}