Hair cell maturation is differentially regulated along the tonotopic axis of the mammalian cochlea

Sound amplification within the mammalian cochlea depends upon specialized hair cells, the outer hair cells (OHCs), which possess both sensory and motile capabilities. In various altricial rodents, OHCs become functionally competent from around postnatal day 7 (P7), before the primary sensory inner hair cells (IHCs), which become competent at about the onset of hearing (P12). The mechanisms responsible for the maturation of OHCs and their synaptic specialization remain poorly understood. We report that spontaneous Ca2+ activity in the immature cochlea, which is generated by CaV1.3 Ca2+ channels, differentially regulates the maturation of hair cells along the cochlea. Under near‐physiological recording conditions we found that, similar to IHCs, immature OHCs elicited spontaneous Ca2+ action potentials (APs), but only during the first few postnatal days. Genetic ablation of these APs in vivo, using CaV1.3−/− mice, prevented the normal developmental acquisition of mature‐like basolateral membrane currents in low‐frequency (apical) hair cells, such as IK,n (carried by KCNQ4 channels), ISK2 and IACh (α9α10nAChRs) in OHCs and IK,n and IK,f (BK channels) in IHCs. Electromotility and prestin expression in OHCs were normal in CaV1.3−/− mice. The maturation of high‐frequency (basal) hair cells was also affected in CaV1.3−/− mice, but to a much lesser extent than apical cells. However, a characteristic feature in CaV1.3−/− mice was the reduced hair cell size irrespective of their cochlear location. We conclude that the development of low‐ and high‐frequency hair cells is differentially regulated during development, with apical cells being more strongly dependent on experience‐independent Ca2+ APs.