INTRACELLULAR-DISTRIBUTION OF ACTIN IN CELLS OF THE ORGAN OF CORTI - A STRUCTURAL BASIS FOR CELL-SHAPE AND MOTILITY

Immunofluorescence staining and phalloidin labeling have provided localization of actin in the sensory and supporting cells of the inner ear at the light microscopic level. However, with electron microscopy, neither actin nor actin filaments have been found in the outer hair cell body. This paper describes various techniques utilized to preserve and identify cytoplasmic actin at the ultrastructural level. Postembedding staining of Lowicryl K4M sections, preembedding staining of permeabilized cells of the organ of Corti, preembedding staining of vibratome sections, and preembedding staining of permeabilized dissociated cells documented the presence of actin, but each of these techniques was best suited to localize actin in specific parts of the cell. Cytoplasmic actin was labeled when isolated cells were lightly fixed and membranes were permeabilized with detergentconditions under which the cell ultrastructure was compromised. Under conditions of optimal fixation, cytoplasmic filaments embedded in the dense granular matrix of the hair cell cytoplasm were observed. Copyright1990 WileyLiss, Inc.