FIG. 4.

Afferent nerve fibers and bouton terminals were partially enveloped by a BX-GAG glycocalyx (green). A BODIPY fluorescence was present in hair cell bodies (hc) and appearing to surround afferent (a) nerve fibers (scale bar 50 μm). B Higher magnification of BX-GAGs present in the basement membrane (bm) of crista and at heminodes (n) (scale bar 30 μm). C FM1-43 (magenta), injected into endolymph over the same time scale as that of BX (B), labeled hair cells and neurons; scale bar: 15 μm. D Maximum intensity of 20-μm two-photon projection following whole nerve intracellular labeling with NBN350 (blue) revealing colocalization of BX-GAGs (green) with bouton (b) nerve terminals. Unmylenated (u) dendrites branching to bouton terminals showed little evidence of BX-GAGs. The initial heminode (n) within the basement membrane (bm) of the crista ampullaris was enveloped by a xyloside primed glycocalyx (g) that continued to envelop the afferent (a) nerve fibers projecting centrally (scale bar 50 μm)