Figure 6.

Immunofluorescence images from maximum projections from z stacks from harbor porpoise (a–d,f) and bottlenose dolphin (e) cochlea. (a) Labeling of the sensory cells with anti-myosin VI antibody. The arrows in (a) show the location of a scar. (b) Labeling of the sensory cells with anti-myosin VI and anti-myosin VIIa antibody, increasing the signal. Type I afferent innervation labeled by anti-neurofilament 200 (c) and anti-neurofilament H (d) antibodies. Note that while anti-neurofilament 200 antibody labels the spiral ganglion cells, anti-neurofilament H antibody also labels the dendrites in contact with inner hair cells. (e) Organ of Corti labeled with our recommended combination of antibodies: anti-prestin, myosin VI, neurofilament H and DAPI. (f) Organ of Corti labeled with phalloidin, anti-prestin, anti-neurofilament H, and all together in addition with DAPI, as we recommend for those samples fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde. The arrows highlight those older scars with shape of butterfly or sand clock and the arrow head points a scar in formation, with still part of the outer hair cell body as labeled by anti-prestin antibody.