Differential binding of antibodies against the neurofilament triplet proteins in different avian neurons.

Using monospecific antisera against each of the three chicken neurofilament (NF) proteins, NF70, NF160 and NF180, the distribution of each of these proteins in several types of neurons was examined by immunohistochemistry. Striking differences were observed in the relative staining by the three antibodies when the soma of different types of neurons were compared, and also when the soma of some neurons were compared with their axons. Both the soma and axons of dorsal root sensory neurons were brightly stained by each of the antisera. The soma of spinal cord ventral horn neurons, however, were stained only by A-NF70 and A-NF180, not by A-NF160. The axons of these neurons were uniformly stained by A-NF70 and A-NF180, while only gradually becoming NF160-positive over the first several hundred microns. The lack of staining by A-NF160 was also observed in many neuronal soma in cultures of dissociated spinal cord cells. The soma and dendrites of adult cerebellar Purkinje cells were weakly stained by A-NF70 and A-NF180 and not at all by A-NF160, but both A-NF70 and A-NF180 yielded prominent staining of immature Purkinje cells and dendrites. These results suggest that the three NF proteins may be unequally distributed within the soma and processes of different types of neurons and/or may be subject to regionally selective modification.