Somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in the retina.

A substance with somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) was found in extracts of goldfish, frog, and cow retina. Dilutions of retinal SLI parallel the standard curve for radioimmunoassay obtained with synthetic somatostatin. Chromatography of goldfish retinal extract on Sephadex G-50 revealed two peaks of SLI, one that coeluted with synthetic somatostatin and one that eluted as a larger molecule. Incubation in 8 M urea did not alter the chromatographic pattern of the extract. SLI was present in extracts of frog optic nerve and tectum in concentrations higher than those found in the retina. In goldfish retina, SLI was localized by immunofluorescence to four types of processes in the inner plexiform layer; their origins could be traced to three classes of SLI-containing cell bodies in the proximal row of the inner nuclear layer and one class in the ganglion cell layer. Localization of SLI to cells of the retina and characterizations of the molecular forms of retinal SLI suggest that the retina is a promising model system for studies on the potential neurotransmitter function of somatostatin.