Abstract
Sea anemones are predominately sessile marine invertebrates that detect prey using a combination of receptors. Chemoreceptors detect prey derived compounds including N-acetylated sugars and amino compounds. Activated chemoreceptors tune hair bundle mechanoreceptors to frequencies and amplitudes corresponding to prey movements. Chemoreceptor-mediated adjustments to vibration sensitivity require modifications to the actin-based cytoskeleton within stereocilia of the hair bundles. Such modifications are initiated by classical second messenger cascades. Hair bundles of sea anemones arise from a multicellular complex comprising a centrally located sensory neuron surrounded by several supporting cells. Stereocilia from the supporting cells converge onto longer stereocilia from the sensory neuron. Electrophysiological recordings from supporting cells indicate that current transients accompany deflections of the hair bundle. Current transients are graded in relation to stimulus strength, saturate at strong stimuli, and are reversibly inhibited by aminoglycoside antibiotics. During prolonged stimulation, the currents completely adapt. These data suggest that individual supporting cells on opposite sides of the hair bundle function in an analogous fashion to oppositely directed hair cells of the acousticolateralis system. Hair bundles of sea anemones possess tip links among other linkages. Agents thought to attack tip links in hair bundles of vertebrate systems, including elastase and calcium free buffers, abolish vibration sensitivity in anemones. In anemones, vibration sensitivity is reversibly abolished by aminoglycoside antibiotics, but is unaffected by amiloride.
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Watson, G.M., Mire, P. (2000). Stereocilia Based Mechanoreceptors of Sea Anemones. In: Lim, D.J. (eds) Cell and Molecular Biology of the Ear. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4223-0_2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-4223-0_2
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