Ultrastructural co-localization of cochlin and type II collagen in the rat semicircular canal

Cochlin and type II collagen are major constituents of the inner ear extracellular matrix. To investigate the morphological relation of cochlin and type II collagen in the rat semicircular canal, immuno-electronmicroscopic analysis was performed using the post-embedding immunogold method. Immunolabeling for cochlin was detected in the fibrillar substance underlying the supporting epithelium of the sensory cells and beneath the epithelial cells facing the endolymph in the semicircular canals. Immunolabeling for type II collagen was observed in the same fibrillar substance in the subepithelial area. The co-localization of cochlin and type II collagen in the fibrillar substance in the subepithelial area indicate that cochlin may play a role in the structural homeostasis of the vestibule acting in concert with the fibrillar type II collagen bundles.