Fig. 9. Xevl is required for stereocilia formation. Confocal immunofluorescence images of dissected Xenopus otic vesicles at stage 45 stained with actin (phalloidin; A,B, red in C-H), spectrin (green in C-E) and espin (green in F-H). (A) Uninjected otic vesicles possess stereocilia with a staircase of actin filaments (arrows). (B) XevlMO-injected otic vesicles have shorter stereocilia that are more uniform in length and exhibit a splayed appearance (arrows). (C) Uninjected otic vesicles possess strong spectrin localization at the cuticular plate (arrow). (D,E) Xevl-depleted embryos display a decrease in spectrin staining (arrows) that correlate with defects in stereocilia morphology. (F) In uninjected embryos, espin staining is strongly associated with stereocilia (arrow). (G,H) Xevl depletion causes a reduction in espin levels in stereocilia (arrow). Bars, 5 µm.