Guanylate cyclase activity in the inner ear and auditory nerve of the rat

Novel molecular mediation in the sound transductional process is implicitly suggested. We investigated the presence of the cGMP-synthesis enzyme, guanylate cyclase, in Corti's organ and auditory nerve of the rat. The soluble guanylate cyclase activity found was sensitive to changes of sound intensity in the different acoustic media used, suggesting a potential role for the system that involves this enzyme. The guanylate cyclase activity appeared to be inversely related (in the inner ear) with the sound intensity to which the animals were exposed; different behavior was observed for the auditory nerve. The enzymatic activity found in Corti's organ, a direct bio-receptor of sound, represents the first reported enzymatic activity of this type in this tissue, which apparently could be influenced by the intensity of a physical stimulus such as sound. Finally, an adequate ionic environment appears to play a potential role in the expression of the changes observed, indicating that it may function according to the requirements of the biological sensor.