Hearing research
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In order to clarify the otoconia formation and turnover, tetracycline, an antibiotic that precipitates at calcifying fronts and serves as a fluorescent marker, was injected into eggs at different stages of chick embryonic development, as well as into postnatal chicken and into adult animals. The changes in the intensity, location patterns and time course of fluorescent labelling in each examined stage in the otolithic organs was studied. ⋯ Results also indicate that otoconia are dynamic structures which undergo turnover. The correspondence between the patterns of CB-D28K immunoreactivity and tetracycline fluorescence may indicate that CB-D28K participates in the formation of otoconia.