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- Title
Contractile cochlear frame in the gecko Teratoscincus scincus.
- Authors
Olga Ganeshina; Misha Vorobyev
- Abstract
It is generally accepted that the cartilaginous frame of the reptilian cochlea has only a passive supportive function. In this study, a ribbon of contractile tissue was revealed within the cartilaginous frame of the cochlea of the gecko Teratoscincus scincus. It consisted of tightly packed cells and received an extensive blood supply. The cytoplasm of the cells was filled with cytoskeletal filaments 57 nm thick as revealed by electron microscopy. Isolated tissue permeabilized with Triton X-100 or glycerol reversibly contracted in the presence of ATP. Noradrenaline caused slow relaxation of the freshly isolated tissue placed in artificial perilymph. We suggest that slow motility of the contractile tissue may adjust passive cochlear mechanics to sounds of high intensities. J. Comp. Neurol. 461:539547, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
- Subjects
COCHLEA; PERILYMPH; CYTOSKELETON
- Publication
Journal of Comparative Neurology, 2003, Vol 461, Issue 4, p539
- ISSN
0021-9967
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/cne.10717