Monoclonal antibody HNK-1 selectively stains a subpopulation of GABAergic neurons containing the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin in the rat cerebral cortex.

Monoclonal antibody HNK-1 is shown to outline selectively a subpopulation of GABAergic neurons containing a specific calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (PV) in the adult rat parietal cortex, using pre- and postembedding immunocytochemistry at light microscopic level. About 98% of HNK-1 stained cells in the rat parietal cortex were PV immunoreactive. About 95% of HNK-1 immunoreactive cells were also shown to be stained with a lectin, Vicia villosa agglutinin (VVA), with a specific affinity for terminal N-acetylgalactosamine, which has been previously shown to stain selectively a subpopulation of PV-containing GABAergic neurons in this region. Furthermore almost all HNK-1 immunoreactive cells were also stained with a monoclonal antibody, 3B3, which is specific for chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan. 3B3 was shown in the present study to stain selectively a subpopulation of PV-immunoreactive neurons in the adult rat parietal cortex. In addition, a direct comparison of two monoclonal antibodies HNK-1 and VC1.1 revealed that these two were identical in their staining properties and that they defined the same subset of PV-containing GABAergic neurons in the rat parietal cortex.