Nonlinear calcium ion waves along actin filaments control active hair-bundle motility.

Authors: Tuszynski JA, Sataric MV, Sekulic DL, Sataric BM, Zdravkovic S Abstract Calcium ions (Ca2+) tune and control numerous diverse aspects of cochlear and vestibular physiological processes. This paper is focused on the Ca2+ control of mechanotransduction in sensory hair cells in the context of polyelectrolyte properties of actin filaments within the hair-bundles of inner ear. These actin filaments appear to serve as efficient pathways for the flow of Ca2+ ions inside stereocilia. We showed how this can be utilized for tuning of force-generating myosin motors. In an established model, we unified the Ca2+ nonlinear dynamics involved in the control of myosin adaptation motors with mechanical displacements of hair-bundles. The model shows that the characteristic time scales fit re...

from #Head and Neck by Sfakianakis via simeraentaxei on Inoreader https://ift.tt/2PHahPM