Nature Communications (Feb 2021)

Single-molecule force spectroscopy reveals the dynamic strength of the hair-cell tip-link connection

  • Eric M. Mulhall,
  • Andrew Ward,
  • Darren Yang,
  • Mounir A. Koussa,
  • David P. Corey,
  • Wesley P. Wong

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21033-6
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 15

Abstract

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The conversion of auditory and vestibular stimuli into electrical signals is initiated by force transmitted to a mechanotransduction channel through the tip link. Here authors show that a single tip-link bond is more mechanically stable relative to classic cadherins, and that the double stranded tip-link connection is stabilized by single strand rebinding facilitated by strong cis-dimerization domains.