Intercellular Junctions in the Organ of Corti

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Abstract
The intercellular junctions between adjacent supporting cells and between apposed hair and supporting cells in the organ of Corti of cat and human were studied. At the endolymphatic surface, the intercellular space was closed by a series of tight junctions (zonula occludens), whereas there were no tight junctions at the basilar membrane surface of the neuro-epithelium. Beneath the adlumenal zonula occludens between adjacent supporting cells, a zonula adherens (intermediate junction, “desmosome”) was found. Many gap junctions joined apposed supporting cells both within and below the endolymphatic junctional complex. Below the zonula occludens between apposed hair and supporting cells, membrane specialization sharing the morphological characteristics of both the macula adherens and zonula adherens was found. Between areas of tight junctional specialization in the junctional complex between hair and supporting cells, there were short areas of parallel limiting membranes separated by a 20A intercellular space. These areas were suggestive but not characteristic of gap junctional specialization. The functional significance of the junctional specialization between cells in the organ of Corti was discussed.