Tsuprun Vladimir, Santi Peter
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Minnesota, Lions Research Building, Room 109, 2001 Sixth Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
J Histochem Cytochem. 2002 Apr;50(4):493-502. doi: 10.1177/002215540205000406.
The structure and symmetry of chinchilla outer hair cell (OHC) stereocilia side and attachment links were investigated by transmission electron microscopy using tannic acid and Cuprolinic blue histochemical procedures. The side links run laterally between and across the rows of the stereocilia and connect the stereocilia together within the bundle. Attachment links form a crown-like array around the tips of only the tallest OHC stereocilia and attach these stereocilia to the Type B fibrils of the tectorial membrane. Computer averaging of the side links from tannic acid-treated tissues showed a central dense region of the link between adjacent stereocilia and a smaller dense portion at the plasma membrane end of the link. Computer averaging of Cuprolinic blue-treated tissues showed low electron density of the central region of the link, and the plasma membrane ends of the link were electron dense. After tannic acid treatment, the attachment links showed a diffused radial distribution around the tips of the tallest OHC stereocilia. After Cuprolinic blue treatment, the attachment links appeared as electron-dense, membrane-bound granular structures arranged with radial symmetry. The central regions of the side links are reactive to tannic acid. These regions appear to contain neutral and basic residues of proteins and participate in side-by-side association of the side links in regular aggregates. Cuprolinic blue-reactive regions of the side and attachment links appear to contain acidic sulfated residues of glycoproteins or proteoglycans, which may be involved in the attachment of these links to the stereocilium membrane.
采用单宁酸和铜叶绿酸蓝组织化学方法，通过透射电子显微镜对毛丝鼠外毛细胞（OHC）静纤毛侧面及连接结构的结构和对称性进行了研究。侧面连接在静纤毛排之间横向延伸并穿过这些排，将束内的静纤毛连接在一起。附着连接仅在最高的OHC静纤毛尖端周围形成冠状排列，并将这些静纤毛附着于盖膜的B型纤维上。对经单宁酸处理组织的侧面连接进行计算机平均分析显示，相邻静纤毛之间连接的中央有一个致密区域，连接的质膜末端有一个较小的致密部分。对经铜叶绿酸蓝处理组织的计算机平均分析显示，连接的中央区域电子密度低，连接的质膜末端电子密度高。单宁酸处理后，附着连接在最高的OHC静纤毛尖端周围呈弥散状径向分布。铜叶绿酸蓝处理后，附着连接呈现为电子致密的、膜结合的颗粒状结构，呈径向对称排列。侧面连接的中央区域对单宁酸有反应。这些区域似乎含有蛋白质的中性和碱性残基，并参与侧面连接在规则聚集体中的并排结合。侧面连接和附着连接的铜叶绿酸蓝反应区域似乎含有糖蛋白或蛋白聚糖的酸性硫酸化残基，这可能与这些连接附着于静纤毛膜有关。
