A novel member to the family of perineuronal antigens associated with subpopulations of central neurons in the rat.

We reported earlier that monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) 473 and 376 gave perineuronal staining of different subsets of central neurons, and that both immunoreactivities were labile to treatment with chondroitinase ABC. On the other hand, MAb 1B5, the immunoreactivity to which is uncovered by chondroitinase ABC, stained a neuronal subset that included neurons positive to MAbs 473 and 376 (Fujita et al. 1989). We now report a new antibody, MAb 374, that stained perimeter of neurons of a subset different from those stained by MAbs 473, 376 and 1B5. In the rat central nervous system MAb 374-positive cells were found in the neocortex, thalamic reticular nucleus, hippocampus, cerebellar cortex and nuclei, and in the brain stem. MAb 374-immunoreactive neuropil was found in the medial habenular, arcuate, dorsal endopiriform nuclei, and the two plexiform layers of the retina. The immunoreactivity was not affected by treatment with chondroitinase ABC. Immunoblot experiments using a rat brain homogenate revealed a specific band at a position corresponding to a molecular weight of 600 kD.