Distribution of filipin-sterol complexes in the unmyelinated nerve fibre

The filipin-sterol technique was employed, together with freeze-fracture, to investigate the fine structure of the unmyelinated nerve fibre in the peripheral nerve. No heterogeneity was observed in the distribution of filipin labelling either in the Schwann cell plasma membrane or along the axolemma. The distribution of labelling is contrasted with that in the myelinated nerve fibre and related to the relative morphology and electrophysiology of the two types of fibre.