Two cone types of rat retina detected by anti-visual pigment antibodies.

The presence of two distinct cone types was demonstrated in the retina of the rat using two cone-specific monoclonal anti-visual pigment antibodies. Cones labelled by antibody COS-1 constituted the large majority (about 93%) of cones, and are most probably responsible for the green photopic sensitivity of the rat. About 7% of the cones were recognized by antibody OS-2, and are thought to be blue-sensitive elements. While OS-2 positive cones were evenly distributed throughout the retina, there were slight differences in the distribution of COS-1 positive cones. The cones made up about 0.85% of all photoreceptor cells. Although the OS-2 positive cones occur in a very low number (0.05% of all photoreceptors) and probably do not appreciably contribute to the photopic system of the rat, their presence in the rat strengthens the presumption that most mammalian species exhibit a dual cone system with a shortwave and a middle-to-longwave sensitivity.