Distribution of Cytokeratins in the Vestibular Epithelium of the Guinea Pig

Abstract

Cytokeratin expression in the vestibular labyrinth of the guinea pig was investigated with immunofluorescence and immunoperoxidase staining on surface preparations of the vestibular epithelium. Phalloidin, an F-actin—specific probe, was used to distinguish between hair cells and supporting cells. Cytokeratin expression was not found in the cytoplasmic domain of hair cells of the crista ampullaris, utricle, or saccule. Cytokeratin expression was abundant in supporting cells of the vestibular sensory epithelium. Electron microscopy revealed the presence of desmosomes, which are associated with cytokeratins, within type 2 hair cells of the vestibular epithelium. It appears that cytokeratins are absent within the cytoplasmic domain of hair cells, but are present in association with intercellular junctions. The functional significance of this unique pattern of cytokeratin expression within the vestibular epithelium is discussed.

Keywords

actin cytokeratin guinea pig hair cell organ of Corti vestibule

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Lazarides

. Intermediate filaments as mechanical integrators of cellular space. Nature 1980; 283: 249–56.

Osborn

Weber

. Tumor diagnosis by intermediate filament typing: A novel tool for surgical pathology. Lab Invest 1983; 48: 372–94.

Fujimoto

Singer

. Immunocytochemical studies of endothelial cells in vivo. I. The presence of desmin only, or of desmin plus vimetin, or vimentin only, in the endothelial cells of different capillaries of the adult chicken. J Cell Biol 1986; 103: 2775–86.

Kuijpers

Tonnaer

Peters

Ramaekers

. Developmentally regulated coexpression of vimentin and cytokeratin in the rat inner ear. Hear Res 1992; 62: 1–10.

Klymkowsky

Bachant

Domingo

. Function of intermediate filaments. Cell Motil Cytoskeleton 1989; 14: 109–31.

Robson

. Intermediate filaments. Curr Opin Cell Biol 1989; 1: 36–43.

Steinert

Roop

. Molecular and cellular biology of intermediate filaments. Annu Rev Biochem 1988; 57: 593–625.

Moll

Franke

Schiller

Geiger

Krepler

. The catalog of human cytokeratins: Patterns of expression in normal epithelia, tumors, and cultured cells. Cell 1982; 31: 11–24.

Moll

Schiller

Franke

. Identification of protein IT of the intestinal cytoskeleton as a novel type I cytokeratin with unusual properties and expression patterns. J Cell Biol 1990; 111: 567–80.

10.

Raphael

Marshak

Barash

Geiger

. Modulation of intermediate filament expression in developing cochlear epithelium. Differentiation 1987; 35: 151–62.

11.

Bauwens

LJJM

Veldman

Bouman

Ramaekers

FCS

Huizing

. Expression of intermediate filament proteins in the adult human cochlea. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1991; 100: 211–8.

12.

Shi

S-R

Kobari

Ohtani

Aikawa

. Immuno—electron microscopic study of keratin distribution in the cochlea using monoclonal antibody. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1990; 99: 817–26.

13.

Kimura

Lundquist

P-G

Wersäll

. Secretory epithelial linings in the ampullae of the guinea pig labyrinth. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) 1964; 57: 517–30.

14.

Kimura

. Distribution, structure, and function of dark cells in the vestibular labyrinth. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1969; 78: 542–61.

15.

Harada

. The vestibular organs. In: SEM atlas of the inner ear. Berkeley, Calif: Kugler & Ghedini Publications, 1988: 76–80.

16.

Anniko

Virtanen

Thornell

L-E

. Expression of intermediate filaments and actin in the embryonic human inner ear. Acta Otolaryngol [Suppl] (Stockh) 1987(suppl 436): 51–61.

17.

Anniko

Arnold

. Cytoskeletal network of intermediate filament proteins in the adult human vestibular labyrinth. Acta Otolaryngol [Suppl] (Stockh) 1990(suppl 470): 40–50.

18.

Wikström

Anniko

Thornell

L-E

Virtanen

. Developmental stage-dependent pattern of inner ear expression of intermediate filaments. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) 1988; 106: 71–80.

19.

Bauwens

LJJM

De Groot

JCMJ

Ramaekers

FCS

Veldman

Huizing

. Expression of intermediate filament proteins in the adult human vestibular labyrinth. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 1992; 101: 479–86.

20.

Thornell

L-E

Anniko

Virtanen

. Cytoskeletal organization of the human inner ear. I. Expression of intermediate filaments in vestibular organs. Acta Otolaryngol [Suppl] (Stockh) 1987(suppl 437): 5–27.

21.

Anniko

Thornell

L-E

Ramaekers

FCS

Stigbrand

. Cytokeratin diversity in epithelia of the human inner ear. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) 1989; 108: 385–96.

22.

Anniko

Thornell

L-E

Hultcrantz

Virtanen

Ramaekers

FCS

Stigbrand

. Prenatal low-dose gamma irradiation of the inner ear induces changes in the expression of intermediate filaments. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) 1989; 108: 206–16.

23.

Gulley

Reese

. Intercellular junctions in the reticular lamina of the organ of Corti. J Neurocytol 1976; 5: 479–507.