Figures
The roles of the two isoforms of myosin 15 (MYO15) in hair bundles.
Left: Schematic depiction showing the three rows of stereocilia in a normal hair bundle, with the first row (dark green) being the shortest and the third row (pale purple) being the tallest. This difference in height results in a characteristic staircase-like structure. The stereocilia in the first two rows mediate the process of mechanotransduction, and the large isoform of myosin 15 localizes to the tips of these stereocilia; the small isoform is found primarily in the taller stereocilia in the third row. Right: When both isoforms are defective or absent, the stereocilia in the third row do not reach their normal height (top). If the N-terminal extension in the large isoform is absent in mice, hair bundles form normally but some of the stereocilia in the first two rows degenerate in older animals (bottom). The large isoform of myosin 15 has a large extension (shown in orange) at its N-terminus.
