Solute carrier family 26 member 5 (Prestin) (SLC26A5)

Prestin (SLC26A5) is a unique voltage-dependent motor protein primarily expressed in the lateral membrane of the outer hair cells (OHCs) in the mammalian cochlea [6, 8]. It belongs to the SLC26 family of anion transporters but has evolved a specialized function: it undergoes rapid conformational changes (electromotility) in response to membrane potential variations [6, 9, 15]. This electromotility drives the "cochlear amplifier," which enhances hearing sensitivity and frequency selectivity by several orders of magnitude [6, 13, 15]. Mutations in the SLC26A5 gene are a known cause of non-syndromic hearing loss, specifically DFNB61 [6, 10, 40]. Prestin is a target for ototoxic drugs like salicylate, which competitively inhibits its function by binding to the anion-binding site and locking the protein in an expanded state [15, 32]. Beyond its role in hearing, recent studies have identified prestin expression in the heart, where it may amplify cardiac motor functions and contribute to contractility [11, 12]. Serum prestin is currently being investigated as a non-invasive biomarker for early detection of inner ear damage and monitoring of hearing loss in clinical settings [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 24, 25, 27, 29, 30]. Targeted drug delivery systems are also being developed using prestin-binding peptides (e.g., A665, LS19) to guide therapeutic agents directly to the outer hair cells [31, 32]. Understanding prestin's structure and function is critical for developing treatments for sensorineural hearing loss and managing drug-induced ototoxicity [15, 32, 38].

Other names

PrestinSLC26A5Motor protein prestinSolute carrier family 26 member 5

Salicylate acts as a competitive inhibitor at the anion-binding site, locking prestin in an expanded state and blocking electromotility [15, 32]. Targeted delivery systems utilize prestin-binding peptides (e.g., A665, LS19) to guide therapeutic nanoparticles to outer hair cells via ligand-receptor interactions [31, 32].