Investigation of the antigen recognition and presentation capacity of pecteneal hyalocytes in the chicken (gallus gallus domesticus).

We investigated at different developmental stages the antigen recognition and presentation capacity of pecteneal hyalocytes that adhere to the pecten oculi in the eye of domestic chickens. Forty-eight fertilized eggs were used to investigate embryonic stages and 12 6-week-old chickens were used to investigate adults. Tissue samples from both embryos and adults were stained with monoclonal antibodies against MHC-II, TLR2/CD282 and TLR4, and also with RCA-1, WGA and SNA lectins. The developmental stage of the pecteneal hyalocytes was determined using Masson's triple staining. Pecteneal hyalocytes first appeared at Hamburger-Hamilton stages 30 34 and remained unchanged from their first appearance to adulthood. Chicken pecteneal hyalocytes were stained by monoclonal antibodies against TLR2 and TLR4, and were unstained by monoclonal antibodies for MHC-II. Hyalocytes were positive for RCA-I, WGA and SNA lectins. We found that pecteneal hyalocytes that adhere to the pecten oculi in domestic chickens recognized antigens, but could not present them. These cells have been assumed to be of monocyte/macrophage lineage; their functions in the immune response are not fully understood.