Immunocytochemical study on cholera toxin binding sites by monoclonal anti-cholera toxin antibody in neuronal tissue culture.

An indirect method of immunocytochemistry showed that cholera toxin and its B-subunit served as specific neuronal surface markers in conjunction with monoclonal anti-cholera toxin and FITC labeled anti-mouse Fab. The cell types which get specifically stained in culture were peripheral neurons from dorsal root ganglion cells, superior cervical ganglion cells, and cerebral neurons, all of which were rat tissue, and NGF-treated PC12 cells. Non-neuronal cells, i.e. Schwann cells, fibroblasts and glia cells, were not stained. This method can, therefore, be used to distinguish neurons from non-neuronal cells in neuronal tissue cultures, as in the case of tetanus toxin described in the literature.