# Regulation of mitochondrial networks in hair cells of the zebrafish lateral line

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · 2020 · $67,446

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Hearing impairments resulting from inner ear dysfunction have limited treatment options and no permanent
solution. Within the inner ear, hair cells of the cochlea are particularly sensitive to outside insult and genetic
perturbations. The high metabolic demand on hair cells suggests they might be vulnerable to alterations in their
mitochondria. The current proposal seeks to evaluate the characteristics of mitochondria within hair cells,
including their volume, connectivity, and dynamism, with an overall hypothesis that hair cells maintain a unique
mitochondrial phenotype to fit their metabolic demand. The proposal uses hair cells of the zebrafish lateral line
as a model system for hair cells in the inner ear. Preliminary data show that lateral line hair cell mitochondria
form vastly interconnected networks, with over 70% of the total mitochondrial volume within a cell consisting of
a single mitochondrion. These networks are dynamic; constantly undergoing fusion and fission to regulate size.
The proposal will test if these mitochondrial networks are specific to hair cells, what genes are involved in
maintaining this phenotype, and if it is regulated by mechanotransduction. These approaches to studying
mitochondria are novel in that they seek to study mitochondrial dynamics (1) quantitatively, when most
previous studies to date rely on subjective classifications and (2) in three dimensions. The results of this
proposal will provide new insights into what hair cells require to maintain their efficacy, and how changes in
subcellular structures could result in hearing impairment or loss.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9965879
- **Project number:** 5F32DC017343-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Andrea McQuate
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $67,446
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-07-01 → 2021-10-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9965879

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9965879, Regulation of mitochondrial networks in hair cells of the zebrafish lateral line (5F32DC017343-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9965879. Licensed CC0.

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