Fig. 1
From: Brevican “nets” voltage-gated calcium channels at the hair cell ribbon synapse
Overview of the IHC-SGN synapse. Shown is a cochlear inner hair cell with SGN contacts. In the expanded view of a wild-type (WT) contact, an individual release site of a ribbon synapse is shown with alignment of presynaptic Cav1.3 channels and the post-synaptic density of an SGN contact. This arrangement likely facilitates spatially precise neurotransmitter release. With injury or other conditions that may increase expression of PNN-targeting extracellular proteases, Cav1.3 channels could be misaligned and spatially precise transmitter release impaired in a manner similar to that shown in the expanded view of a bcan−/− contact. A lateral olivocochlear (LOC) efferent contact to an SGN dendrite is also shown