C. elegans with tmc-1-expressing chemosensory neurons labeled with a fluorescent protein.William Schafer
The nematode version of a gene central to mammalian hearing turns out to encode a salt sensor, according to new research published today (January 30) in Nature. The study is the first to describe the function of nematode TMC-1, a protein that appears to aid in sensing (and avoiding) high concentrations of salt when expressed in specialized neurons, and may help elucidate the mechanics of mammalian hearing.
The new work on TMC-1 “is a really important paper for the hearing field as well,” said neurobiologist Jeffrey Holt at Harvard University Medical School, who was not involved in the research. The new data suggest that TMC-1 acts as an ion channel and that it may work similarly in the mammalian auditory system, Holt added.
Previous work ...
