Figure 3.
Mouse TRPA1 is expressed in the inner ear and localizes to the mechanosensory hair cell bundles. Anti-TRPA1 immunoreactivity is indicated in green; actin-rich hair cell bundles, labeled with phalloidin, are indicated in red; and kinocilia, labeled with anti-tubulin antibodies, are in blue. The two columns at the left show TRPA1 immunoreactivity in the presence of GST protein, whereas the two columns at the right show elimination of the TRPA1 immunoreactivity in the presence of antigenic peptide (a fusion of GST to the N-terminal 60 residues of TRPA1). TRPA1 immunoreactivity specifically labels the stereocilliary bundles of inner hair cells (a-d), outer hair cells (e-h), utricular hair cells (i-l), and hair cells of the crista ampullaris (m-p), as well as the apical side (the actin-rich cuticular plate) of outer hair cells (q-t). The label is not detected at the basal side of hair cells (not shown). u, v, Western blots reveal a single band detected by anti-TRPA1 on protein lysates from mouse saccule plus utricle (S+U) and organ of Corti (OC).