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Figure 4 | BMC Neuroscience

Figure 4

From: Brn3c null mutant mice show long-term, incomplete retention of some afferent inner ear innervation

Figure 4

The distribution of hair cells as identified with MyoVII immunocytochemistry is shown for 7-day old whole mounted cochlea (a-d) and the appearance of cytological differentiation is shown as revealed with epoxy resin sections in 7-day old (e-g) and 6-month old (h) control (a,c,e) and Brn3c mutant cochleae (b,d,f-h). Note the uniform staining with this antibody of all three rows of outer hair cells (OHC) and the single row of inner hair cells (IHC) in the wildtype (a,c). In contrast, only few immature hair cells (iHC) are found in the basal turn of the mutant littermate (b) and only an occasional cell is MyoVII immunopositive in the middle turn (d). No MyoVII positive immature hair cells exist in the apex. Sections show the degree of differentiation of hair cells and their innervating fibers stained with tubulin immunocytochemistry (arrow; e-h). Note the presence of a spiral capillary (C) under the tunnel of Corti separating the inner and outer hair cells in the P7 wildtype (e). In contrast, no such capillary is present underneath the organ of Corti in mutants (f-h) and no tunnel of Corti is found either. A tectorial membrane forms (TM) but otherwise there is little cyotological differentiation. Note that tubulin-positive fibers can be traced to the immature cells until 6 months (h). Bar in c indicates 100 μm.

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