Summary
Opsin-like immunoreactivity was observed in the retinae and pineal organs of the mouse, rat and guinea pig, and the pineal organ of the cat. In the retina the immunoreaction was restricted to photoreceptor cells, which displayed immunostaining in their perikarya and outer and inner segments. Distinct pinealocytes endowed with characteristic processes were labelled in the pineal organs of the mouse and cat. However, in the cat the number of immunoreactive pinealocytes was very limited. In the pineal organs of the rat and guinea pig immunoreaction was very weak and diffuse. No immunoreaction was observed when the antibody was preabsorbed with purified bovine (rhod)opsin. These findings are in accord with the results of previous studies indicating molecular similarities between retinal photoreceptors and pinealocytes in mammals.
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Supported by grants from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft to HWK, the European Science Foundation to RGF, the Alexander-von-Humboldt Stiftung to PE, and the Dutch Foundation for the Advancement of Basic Research. The authors are greatly indebted to Dr. Willem de Grip, Nijmegen, and Profesor Andreas Oksche, Giessen, for their critical interest in this study
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Korf, H.W., Foster, R.G., Ekström, P. et al. Opsin-like immunoreaction in the retinae and pineal organs of four mammalian species. Cell Tissue Res. 242, 645–648 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00225432
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00225432