Figure 1.

Confocal image stacks of the guinea pig organ of Corti after immunofluorescent labeling for GLAST. A, Apical turn. The fluorescent labeling can be seen in supporting cells surrounding the unlabeled flask-shaped IHCs (^*) and more weakly in the membranes of the Deiters' cells (DC). B, Basal turn. The distribution of labeling in the IHC supporting cells is very similar to that seen in the apical region, but labeling in the Deiters' cell membranes is absent. Background fluorescence can be seen in the OHCs. Note that the fluorescence from supporting cells around the IHCs is saturated in intensity because the power of the laser and gain of the photomultiplier were set high to detect Deiters' cell labeling. C, Sequence of images of the IHC region from each turn of the cochlear spiral progressing from the apex to the base. Here the power and gain were kept low to allow variations in the intensity in the IHC supporting cells to be detected. Note that qualitatively, there appears to be an increase in fluorescence intensity toward the base, but this decreases again in the most basal image.