# Cytoskeletal stability in stereocilia maintenance

> **NIH NIH R01** · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · 2022 · $389,080

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Hearing depends on stereocilia, which are protrusions on sensory cells in the inner ear that exist as
membrane-enclosed bundles of actin filaments. If stereocilia are malformed during development or improperly
maintained, then people have congenital deafness or progressive hearing loss. The composition of the
stereocilia actin core is well-known and consists of a highly stable bundle of parallel actin filaments which form
a stiff rod. The core dimensions dictate the length and width of stereocilia. The addition or loss of actin from the
distal end of the core drives growth during development and shortening that occurs during some forms of
progressive hearing loss. Our proposed experiments focus on elucidating how actin is regulated at the tips of
developing stereocilia. Similar regulatory mechanisms may repair stereocilia during aging or following noise
damage. Understanding these mechanisms is therefore expected to be essential for understanding many
forms of hearing loss. This proposal builds on work done during the previous granting period, where we
discovered differences in actin turnover at the tips of stereocilia in mechanotransducing rows. We now present
evidence of a novel population of short actin filaments that exist at stereocilia tips but are not part of the actin
core. Experiments in mouse models will document the key characteristics of these tip filaments, how they are
regulated at the tips of mechanotransducing and non-mechanotransducing stereocilia, and how they contribute
to stereocilia development and maintenance.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10521450
- **Project number:** 2R01DC015495-06
- **Recipient organization:** INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
- **Principal Investigator:** BENJAMIN J PERRIN
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $389,080
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2017-06-01 → 2027-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10521450

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10521450, Cytoskeletal stability in stereocilia maintenance (2R01DC015495-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10521450. Licensed CC0.

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