A key stage in auditory encoding is the
transformation of the analog and continuous electrical signal at
inner hair cells (IHCs) into the discrete spike timings in auditory
nerve fibers (ANFs). In this work, using modeling, we investigated
the biophysical specializations of the IHC ribbon synapse, which
support this transcoding of the auditory signal. First, in
combination with experiments, we studied the coupling of the ANF
postsynaptic bouton to its action potential generator. We found
that ANFs encode with submillisecond precision the timings of
neurotransmitter release from IHCs. Then, we investigated the sound
signal encoding at the presynapse. By modeling vesicle diffusion on
the synaptic ribbon, we show that the ribbon might act as a
“Brownian conveyor trap
