1State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Human Phenome Institute, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Genetics and Development, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China 
2Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China 
3Department of Human Anatomy, School of Basic Medicine Sciences, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou 646000, China

Abstract 

Drosophila dEAAT2, a member of the excitatory amino-acid transporter (EAAT) family, has been described as mediating the high-affinity transport of taurine, which is a free amino-acid abundant in both insects and mammals. However, the role of taurine and its transporter in hearing is not clear. Here, we report that dEAAT2 is required for the larval startle response to sound stimuli. dEAAT2 was found to be enriched in the distal region of chordotonal neurons where sound transduction occurs. The Ca2+ imaging and electrophysiological results showed that disrupted dEAAT2 expression significantly reduced the response of chordotonal neurons to sound. More importantly, expressing dEAAT2 in the chordotonal neurons rescued these mutant phenotypes. Taken together, these findings indicate a critical role for Drosophila dEAAT2 in sound transduction by chordotonal neurons.

Keywords

Drosophila dEAAT2,Taurine,Chordotonal neurons,Sound transduction

[SpringerLink]