Journal of Neuroscience, Vol 7, 1189-1197, Copyright © 1987 by Society for Neuroscience
Visualization of endogenous glycine in cat retina: an immunocytochemical study with Fab fragments
RG Pourcho and DJ Goebel
Fab fragments of a glycine antiserum were prepared and used for
immunocytochemical visualization of glycine in the cat retina. The use of
Fab fragments in conjunction with Fab-specific secondary and tertiary
antisera improved tissue penetration and made it possible to identify a
number of the immunoreactive neurons. Staining was observed in several
subpopulations of amacrine cells, including the A7(AII) rod amacrine.
Multiple subpopulations of cone bipolar cells were also seen to be
immunoreactive. Many neurons exhibited no detectable immunostaining,
indicating that general metabolic levels of glycine do not interfere with
the visualization of those cells that contain large amounts of endogenous
glycine. The distribution of immunostaining appears to parallel the pattern
of glycine labeling seen previously with autoradiographic techniques and
implicates these cells in glycine- mediated neurotransmission.