Localization of the Thy-1 antigen to the surfaces of rat retinal ganglion cells.

Indirect immunofluorescence has been used to localize the Thy-1 antigen to ganglion cell axons, the ganglion cell layer and the inner plexiform layer in cryostat sections of adult and neonatal rat retina. In similar immunofluorescence experiments monoclonal antibodies raised against the 200,000 molecular weight neurofilament polypeptide bound only to ganglion cell axons and processes in the outer plexiform layer. Less than 1% of cells dissociated from 8 day postnatal rat retina had superficial Thy-1 antigen demonstrable by immunofluorescence; these cells were generally large and their size spectrum was similar to that of ganglion cells in situ . After culture for 1 day many of these Thy-1 positive cells had generated neurofilament antigen. We conclude that Thy-1 is found chiefly or exclusively on ganglion cells of eight day retina, and may be useful in the identification and isolation of these cells by immunoselection procedures.