The actin cytoskeleton in the basilar epithelium of the organ of Corti.

<p>(A) In the cochleae of MLCK^IKO mice, staining with phalloidin reveals decreased F-actin formation in the cytoplasm and cell membrane of IHCs, whereas its expression in pillar cells (PCs) and OHCs remains strong in comparison with that of CTR mice. The nuclei were stained (blue) with Topro. Scale bars: 20 µm. (B) Representative waveforms of F-actin fluorescence signals in CTR and MLCK^IKO inner hair cells, captured by a LOYMUPS FLUOVIEW Ver.1.7.a Viewer. (C) Quantification of the relative intensity of the F-actin fluorescence signals in CTR (solid symbol, n = 10) and MLCK^IKO inner hair cells (open symbol, n = 13). The bars represent the means ± S.E., *Significant difference compared with CTR. ***<i>P</i><0.001.