Molecular identity of the mechanotransduction channel in hair cells: Not quiet there yet

Hair cells in the mammalian cochlea are specialized mechanosensory cells that convert sound-induced vibrations into electrochemical signals. The molecular composition of the mechanotransduction channel underlying auditory perception has been difficult to define. The study of genes that are linked to inherited forms of deafness has recently provided tantalizing clues. Current findings indicate that the mechanotransduction channel in hair cells is a complex molecular machine. Four different proteins (TMHS/LHFPL5, TMIE, TMC1, and TMC2) have so far been linked to the transduction channel, but which proteins contribute to the channel pore still needs to be determined. Current evidence also suggests that the channel complex may contain additional, yet to be identified components.