UCL Discovery

Abstract

In Drosophila, hearing is mediated by the antenna. Stimulus forces acting on the antennal receiver are coupled to dedicated neurons that comprise the molecular machinery for mechanosensory transduction, adaptation and amplification. Because the action of this machinery is reflected in the receiver's mechanics, the latter can be used to probe the molecular mechanisms that bring about hearing in an intact ear. Here, we show that these mechanisms closely resemble those that are at work in hair cells in vertebrate ears. Based on the gating-spring model of transduction in vertebrate hair cells, we have developed an extended, symmetric gating-spring model reflecting the anatomy of the antennal receiver, that describes the physical processes that make flies hear. This model explains the car's performance, including the receiver\s mechanics and the electrical response of the afferent nerve. These findings suggest that while the auditory anatomy is vastly different, the molecular components and mechanisms that promote fly and vertebrate hearing may be evolutionarily conserved.