Freeze fracturing of the human stria vascularis

The stria vascularis is an important functional element in the mammalian cochlea. This special tissue is considered to be the source of the endocochlear potential and thus the driving force for the production of a receptor response to the auditory stimulus. In order to maintain its function, the stria vascularis needs to be separated from the endolymphatic space by a tight seal. This seal is comprised of tight junctions in the marginal cell layer. The junctional arrangement in the stria vascularis is described, utilizing the freeze-fracturing technique which allows the visualization of large expansions of plasma membrane. The marginal cells are generally separated by tight junctions of the moderately tight to tight type. In places, however, even so-called leaky junctions with only a few sealing strands are present. Whereas the intermediate cell layer seems to lack tight junctions, the basal cells are connected by extensive tight junctions more or less covering the entire cell. These junctions seem to form an extremely tight barrier against the spiral ligament. Gap junctions are also present in the tissue. Intermediate cells as well as the basal cells are coupled by gap junctions. In the basal cell layer, gap junctional elements may also be found inside the large tight junctions comprising so-called mixed junctions.