Synaptogenesis in co-cultured inner ear explants which share a single statoacoustic ganglion.

Co-cultured otic explants which shared a single statoacoustic ganglion were grown 'in vitro' to the equivalent of gestation day 21 and then processed either for light microscopic or ultrastructural study. Only vestibular sensory epithelium was studied. Nerve fibres from the statoacoustic ganglion (SAG) of the (+) SAG otic explant were attracted to the sites of differentiating vestibular sensory epithelium in the (-) SAG otic explant. Synaptic contact between vestibular sensory hair cells and statoacoustic ganglion neurites was observed in both the (-) SAG and (+) SAG otic explants.