Wheat germ agglutinin binding sites in the organ of Corti as revealed by lectin-gold labeling

The distribution of wheat germ agglutinin(WGA)-binding sites in the organ of Corti of the guinea pig and mongolian gerbil was studied. WGA was conjugated with gold particles and applied on thin sections of the cochlea embedded in Spurr's resin and in Lowicryl K4M. WGA-binding sites were found on the plasma membrane, lysosomes and cytoskeletons of hair and supporting cells as well as on the tectorial and basilar membranes. No distinct difference was discovered between hair cells and supporting cells in terms of WGA-binding activities.