Stereocilia mediate transduction in vertebrate hair cells (auditory system/cilium/vestibular system).

TLDR

The vertebrate hair cell transduces mechanical stimuli via its hair bundle, which comprises stereocilia that mediate transduction and a kinocilium that likely serves as a mechanical linkage. Scanning electron microscopy confirmed the positions of the kinocilium and stereocilia during physiological recordings. Intracellular recordings from bullfrog saccular hair cells showed that detaching the kinocilium abolishes receptor potentials, whereas deflecting stereocilia generates normal amplitude and sensitivity responses.

Abstract

The vertebrate hair cell is a sensory receptor that responds to mechanical stimulation of its hair bundle, which usually consists of numerous large microvilli (stereocilia) and a single true cilium (the kinocilium). We have examined the roles of these two components of the hair bundle by recording intracellularly from bullfrog saccular hair cells. Detachment of the kinocilium from the hair bundle and deflection of this cilium produces no receptor potentials. Mechanical stimulation of stereocilia, however, elicits responses of normal amplitude and sensitivity. Scanning electron microscopy confirms the assessments of ciliary position made during physiological recording. Stereocilia mediate the transduction process of the vertebrate hair cell, while the kinocilium may serve primarily as a linkage conveying mechanical displacements to the stereocilia.