Dr Stuart Johnson
School of Biosciences
Lecturer
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+44 114 222 3692
Full contact details
School of Biosciences
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
- Profile
-
- 2011-present: Royal Society University Research Fellow, University of Sheffield, UK.
- 2009-2011: RNID Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Sheffield, UK.
- 2006-2009: Wellcome Trust Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Sheffield, UK.
- 2003-2005: MRC Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Sussex, UK.
- 1998-2003: D.Phil, University of Sussex, UK.
- 1995-1998: BSc Hons Biological Sciences (Animal Physiology), University of Leicester, UK.
- Research interests
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- Signalling characteristics of cochlear hair cells.
Auditory neuroscience, sensory coding, synaptic transmission
Mammalian cochlear inner hair cells (IHCs) are the primary sensory cells of the auditory pathway. Their job is to convert sound vibrations into an electrical signal that can be interpreted by the brain. As such, it is vital that the information encoded by IHCs is accurately preserved at this initial stage. One of the major causes of deafness/hearing loss is associated with IHCs losing their ability to function normally.
The aim of my research is to find out how IHCs are able to accurately encode sounds over a wide frequency and intensity range and how the information is processed on its way to the brain. Knowledge of how the ear processes sound will be informative to develop improved hearing aids, including cochlear implants. An additional aspect of my research applies directly to define how stem cells are able to replace damaged nerve fibres in order to restore hearing (in collaboration with Prof Marcelo Rivolta).
In order to achieve this I will study IHCs in the isolated cochlea using a combination of electrophysiological, cell imaging and molecular biological techniques.
- Publications
-
Show: Featured publications All publications
Featured publications
Journal articles
- The coupling between Ca2+ channels and the exocytotic Ca2+ sensor at hair cell ribbon synapses varies tonotopically along the mature cochlea.. Journal of Neuroscience, 37(9), 2471-2484. View this article in WRRO
- Connexin-Mediated Signaling in Nonsensory Cells Is Crucial for the Development of Sensory Inner Hair Cells in the Mouse Cochlea.. Journal of Neuroscience, 37(2), 258-268. View this article in WRRO
- Calcium entry into stereocilia drives adaptation of the mechanoelectrical transducer current of mammalian cochlear hair cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(41), 14918-14923.
- Progressive hearing loss and gradual deterioration of sensory hair bundles in the ears of mice lacking the actin-binding protein Eps8L2.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 110(34), 13898-13903.
- Presynaptic maturation in auditory hair cells requires a critical period of sensory-independent spiking activity.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 110(21), 8720-8725.
- Restoration of auditory evoked responses by human ES-cell-derived otic progenitors.. Nature, 490(7419), 278-282. View this article in WRRO
- The resting transducer current drives spontaneous activity in prehearing mammalian cochlear inner hair cells.. J Neurosci, 32(31), 10479-10483.
- Prestin-driven cochlear amplification is not limited by the outer hair cell membrane time constant.. Neuron, 70(6), 1143-1154.
- Position-dependent patterning of spontaneous action potentials in immature cochlear inner hair cells.. Nature Neuroscience, 14(6), 711-717. View this article in WRRO
- Synaptotagmin IV determines the linear Ca2+ dependence of vesicle fusion at auditory ribbon synapses.. Nat Neurosci, 13(1), 45-52. View this article in WRRO
- Membrane properties specialize mammalian inner hair cells for frequency or intensity encoding. eLife, 4. View this article in WRRO
All publications
Journal articles
- A critical period of prehearing spontaneous Ca2+ spiking is required for hair-bundle maintenance in inner hair cells. The EMBO Journal. View this article in WRRO
- AAV-mediated rescue of Eps8 expression in vivo restores hair-cell function in a mouse model of recessive deafness. Molecular Therapy - Methods & Clinical Development, 26, 355-370. View this article in WRRO
- Signal transmission in mature mammalian vestibular hair cells. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 16. View this article in WRRO
- Grxcr1 regulates hair bundle morphogenesis and is required for normal mechanoelectrical transduction in mouse cochlear hair cells. PLoS ONE, 17(3).
- Current response in CaV1.3–/– mouse vestibular and cochlear hair cells. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 15. View this article in WRRO
- MET currents and otoacoustic emissions from mice with a detached tectorial membrane indicate the extracellular matrix regulates Ca2+ near stereocilia. The Journal of Physiology. View this article in WRRO
- Biophysical and morphological changes in inner hair cells and their efferent innervation in the ageing mouse cochlea. The Journal of Physiology, 599(1), 269-287. View this article in WRRO
- Pathophysiological changes in inner hair cell ribbon synapses in the ageing mammalian cochlea. The Journal of Physiology. View this article in WRRO
- Exocytosis in mouse vestibular Type II hair cells shows a high‐order Ca2+ dependence that is independent of synaptotagmin‐4. Physiological Reports, 8(14). View this article in WRRO
- Age‐related changes in the biophysical and morphological characteristics of mouse cochlear outer hair cells. The Journal of Physiology. View this article in WRRO
- K+ accumulation and clearance in the calyx synaptic cleft of type I mouse vestibular hair cells. Neuroscience, 426, 69-86. View this article in WRRO
- Hair cell maturation is differentially regulated along the tonotopic axis of the mammalian cochlea. The Journal of Physiology, 598(1), 151-170. View this article in WRRO
- Clarin‐2 is essential for hearing by maintaining stereocilia integrity and function. EMBO Molecular Medicine, 11(9). View this article in WRRO
- Gata3 is required for the functional maturation of inner hair cells and their innervation in the mouse cochlea. The Journal of Physiology. View this article in WRRO
- Coordinated calcium signalling in cochlear sensory and non‐sensory cells refines afferent innervation of outer hair cells. The EMBO Journal, 38(9), e99839-e99839.
- Hair Cell Afferent Synapses: Function and Dysfunction. Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, 9(12), a033175-a033175.
- Helios is a key transcriptional regulator of outer hair cell maturation. Nature, 563(7733), 696-700. View this article in WRRO
- Mechanotransduction is required for establishing and maintaining mature inner hair cells and regulating efferent innervation.. Nature Communications, 9. View this article in WRRO
- Corrigendum. The Journal of Physiology, 595(11), 3677-3678.
- The coupling between Ca2+ channels and the exocytotic Ca2+ sensor at hair cell ribbon synapses varies tonotopically along the mature cochlea.. Journal of Neuroscience, 37(9), 2471-2484. View this article in WRRO
- Connexin-Mediated Signaling in Nonsensory Cells Is Crucial for the Development of Sensory Inner Hair Cells in the Mouse Cochlea.. Journal of Neuroscience, 37(2), 258-268. View this article in WRRO
- Wbp2 is required for normal glutamatergic synapses in the cochlea and is crucial for hearing. EMBO Molecular Medicine, 8(3), 191-207. View this article in WRRO
- Tmc1 Point Mutation Affects Ca2+ Sensitivity and Block by Dihydrostreptomycin of the Mechanoelectrical Transducer Current of Mouse Outer Hair Cells. Journal of Neuroscience, 36(2), 336-349. View this article in WRRO
- Absence of Neuroplastin-65 Affects Synaptogenesis in Mouse Inner Hair Cells and Causes Profound Hearing Loss. Journal of Neuroscience, 36(1), 222-234.
- Elementary properties of Ca2+ channels and their influence on multivesicular release and phase-locking at auditory hair cell ribbon synapses. FRONTIERS IN CELLULAR NEUROSCIENCE, 9.
- Absence of plastin 1 causes abnormal maintenance of hair cell stereocilia and a moderate form of hearing loss in mice. Human Molecular Genetics, 24(1), 37-49. View this article in WRRO
- Calcium entry into stereocilia drives adaptation of the mechanoelectrical transducer current of mammalian cochlear hair cells. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(41), 14918-14923.
- In vivo and in vitro biophysical properties of hair cells from the lateral line and inner ear of developing and adult zebrafish.. J Physiol, 592(10), 2041-2058. View this article in WRRO
- A reduction in Ptprq associated with specific features of the deafness phenotype of the miR-96 mutant mouse diminuendo.. Eur J Neurosci, 39(5), 744-756.
- The actin-binding proteins eps8 and gelsolin have complementary roles in regulating the growth and stability of mechanosensory hair bundles of mammalian cochlear outer hair cells.. PLoS One, 9(1), e87331. View this article in WRRO
- Cholinergic efferent synaptic transmission regulates the maturation of auditory hair cell ribbon synapses.. Open Biol, 3(11). View this article in WRRO
- Progressive hearing loss and gradual deterioration of sensory hair bundles in the ears of mice lacking the actin-binding protein Eps8L2.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 110(34), 13898-13903.
- Burst activity and ultrafast activation kinetics of CaV1.3 Ca²⁺ channels support presynaptic activity in adult gerbil hair cell ribbon synapses.. J Physiol, 591(16), 3811-3820. View this article in WRRO
- Presynaptic maturation in auditory hair cells requires a critical period of sensory-independent spiking activity.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 110(21), 8720-8725.
- Restoration of auditory evoked responses by human ES-cell-derived otic progenitors.. Nature, 490(7419), 278-282. View this article in WRRO
- Development and function of the voltage-gated sodium current in immature mammalian cochlear inner hair cells.. PLoS One, 7(9), e45732. View this article in WRRO
- The resting transducer current drives spontaneous activity in prehearing mammalian cochlear inner hair cells.. J Neurosci, 32(31), 10479-10483.
- Lack of brain-derived neurotrophic factor hampers inner hair cell synapse physiology, but protects against noise-induced hearing loss.. J Neurosci, 32(25), 8545-8553.
- Prestin-driven cochlear amplification is not limited by the outer hair cell membrane time constant.. Neuron, 70(6), 1143-1154.
- Position-dependent patterning of spontaneous action potentials in immature cochlear inner hair cells.. Nature Neuroscience, 14(6), 711-717. View this article in WRRO
- Eps8 regulates hair bundle length and functional maturation of mammalian auditory hair cells.. PLoS Biol, 9(4), e1001048. View this article in WRRO
- miR-96 regulates the progression of differentiation in mammalian cochlear inner and outer hair cells.. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 108(6), 2355-2360.
- Elementary properties of CaV1.3 Ca(2+) channels expressed in mouse cochlear inner hair cells.. J Physiol, 588(Pt 1), 187-199.
- Synaptotagmin IV determines the linear Ca2+ dependence of vesicle fusion at auditory ribbon synapses.. Nat Neurosci, 13(1), 45-52. View this article in WRRO
- Human fetal auditory stem cells can be expanded in vitro and differentiate into functional auditory neurons and hair cell-like cells.. Stem Cells, 27(5), 1196-1204.
- Functional maturation of the exocytotic machinery at gerbil hair cell ribbon synapses.. J Physiol, 587(Pt 8), 1715-1726.
- Myosin VI is required for the proper maturation and function of inner hair cell ribbon synapses. Human Molecular Genetics, 18(23), 4615-4628.
- Tonotopic variation in the calcium dependence of neurotransmitter release and vesicle pool replenishment at mammalian auditory ribbon synapses.. J Neurosci, 28(30), 7670-7678. View this article in WRRO
- Biophysical properties of CaV1.3 calcium channels in gerbil inner hair cells.. J Physiol, 586(4), 1029-1042. View this article in WRRO
- Genetic deletion of SK2 channels in mouse inner hair cells prevents the developmental linearization in the Ca2+ dependence of exocytosis.. J Physiol, 583(Pt 2), 631-646. View this article in WRRO
- Tmc1 is necessary for normal functional maturation and survival of inner and outer hair cells in the mouse cochlea.. J Physiol, 574(Pt 3), 677-698. View this article in WRRO
- Increase in efficiency and reduction in Ca2+ dependence of exocytosis during development of mouse inner hair cells.. J Physiol, 563(Pt 1), 177-191. View this article in WRRO
- A transiently expressed SK current sustains and modulates action potential activity in immature mouse inner hair cells.. J Physiol, 560(Pt 3), 691-708. View this article in WRRO
- Effects of intracellular stores and extracellular Ca(2+) on Ca(2+)-activated K(+) currents in mature mouse inner hair cells.. J Physiol, 557(Pt 2), 613-633. View this article in WRRO
- Sodium and calcium currents shape action potentials in immature mouse inner hair cells.. J Physiol, 552(Pt 3), 743-761. View this article in WRRO
- Developmental changes in the expression of potassium currents of embryonic, neonatal and mature mouse inner hair cells.. J Physiol, 548(Pt 2), 383-400.
- Membrane capacitance measurement using patch clamp with integrated self-balancing lock-in amplifier.. Pflugers Arch, 443(4), 653-663.
- Dynamic coupling of cochlear inner hair cell intrinsic Ca2+action potentials to Ca2+signaling of non-sensory cells.
- Human axial progenitors generate trunk neural crest cells. View this article in WRRO
- Spontaneous and coordinated Ca2+ activity of cochlear sensory and non-sensory cells drives the maturation of OHC afferent innervation.
- Fine Tuning of CaV1.3 Ca2+ Channel Properties in Adult Inner Hair Cells Positioned in the Most Sensitive Region of the Gerbil Cochlea. PLoS ONE, 9(11), e113750-e113750. View this article in WRRO
- Membrane properties specialize mammalian inner hair cells for frequency or intensity encoding. eLife, 4. View this article in WRRO
Chapters
- Electrophysiological Recordings of Voltage-Dependent and Mechanosensitive Currents in Sensory Hair Cells of the Auditory and Vestibular Organs of the Mouse, Neuromethods (pp. 221-264). Springer US
- Functional Development of Hair Cells in the Mammalian Inner Ear, Development of Auditory and Vestibular Systems: Fourth Edition (pp. 155-188).
- Functional Development of Hair Cells in the Mammalian Inner Ear, Development of Auditory and Vestibular Systems (pp. 155-188). Elsevier
- Contributors, Development of Auditory and Vestibular Systems (pp. xi-xiii). Elsevier
- The coupling between Ca2+ channels and the exocytotic Ca2+ sensor at hair cell ribbon synapses varies tonotopically along the mature cochlea.. Journal of Neuroscience, 37(9), 2471-2484. View this article in WRRO
- Research group
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Collaborations
- Henrique von Gersdorff (Vollum Institute, USA)
- Robert Fettiplace FRS (Wisconsin, USA)
- Marcelo Rivolta (Sheffield)
- Grants
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- The Royal Society
- Action on Hearing Loss
- Teaching activities
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Undergraduate and postgraduate taught modules
Undergraduate:
- BMS248 Neural Circuits, Behaviour & Memory
- BMS335 Sensory Neuroscience
- Level 3 Practical and Dissertation Modules
Masters (MSc)
- BMS6335 Sensory Neuroscience
- Professional activities and memberships
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Invited seminars
- Sandbjerg Meeting on Membrane Transport, Denmark (2015)
Awards
- Royal Society University Research Fellowship (2011)