Distinct roles of stereociliary links in the nonlinear sound processing and noise resistance of cochlear outer hair cells

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Significance Our hearing organ, the cochlea, acts as an active sound amplifier rather than a simple detector due to the action of outer hair cells (OHCs). This active sound processing by OHCs requires specific hair bundle architecture in which stereocilia are connected to each other and to the overlying tectorial membrane by nanoscale extracellular links. But it remains unclear how these stereociliary links contribute to OHC function. Using tubby mouse genetics, we dissected the role of each link in OHC function. While the links connecting stereocilia and the tectorial membrane are essential for normal OHC function, the links connecting adjacent stereocilia together are more important for preventing hearing loss due to noise stress.