Biochemical investigations of retinotectal specificity.

An in vitro assay for retinotectal specificity has been described. The results show that, in the chick embryo, cells dissociated from the dorsal retina preferentially adhered to ventral tectal surfaces while cells from the ventral retina preferentially adhered to dorsal tectal surfaces. These adhesive preferences thus mimic the retinotectal specificity observed in vivo. The assay has been extended for use with plasma membrane preparations from retinal cells. Experiments in which retinal cells or tectal surfaces were treated with purified proteases and glycosidases have partially characterized the moieties responsible for the observed specificities. These results are consistent with a double gradient in the dorsal-ventral axis of complementary proteins and carbohydrates. The carbohydrate moiety would be expected to terminate in an acetylated hexosamine and to be more concentrated dorsally in both retina and tectum. A protein that is complementary to the hexosamine terminus would be localized in the ventral part of retina and tectum.