Immunocytochemical discrimination of visual pigments in the retinal photoreceptors of the nocturnal gecko Teratoscincus scincus.

Using a monoclonal antibody (COS-1) against a chicken cone visual pigment and an anti-rhodopsin serum, two visual pigments were distinguished in the gecko retina. One pigment, recognized by the monoclonal antibody COS-1, was found in the outer segments of all photoreceptor cells except the thinner members of type C double cells and the middle members of the triplet cells. These COS-1-negative photoreceptors contained another pigment which could be demonstrated by the anti-rhodopsin serum. Based on an earlier microspectrophotometric study, the visual pigment recognized by COS-1 is a green-sensitive pigment, while the one demonstrated by anti-rhodopsin is a blue-sensitive photopigment.