Fig. 3.

Scanning electron micrographs of OHC hair bundles in adult wild-type (A and B), Otog^−/−, Otogl^−/−, and Strc^−/− mice. In addition to the absence of lateral links between stereocilia already evident at hearing onset, the OHC hair bundles of P60 Otog^−/− mice (C and D) and Otogl^−/− mice (E and F) display modified staircase patterns, with the stereocilia differing in height within rows. This defect shows marked variability between OHCs (C and E) and was not detected in the OHCs of Strc^−/− mice (G and H). (Scale bars: 4 µm in A, C, E, and G; 2 µm in B, D, F, and H.)