[Immunocytochemical characteristics of organotypic cerebellar culture using the avidin-biotin complex method (ABC)]

The occurrence and cellular localization of some CNS antigenic markers were studied in organotypic cultures of newborn rat cerebellum grown for up to 5 weeks. The avidin-biotin-complex method was employed using polyclonal immune sera against glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), S-100 protein and vimentin, and monoclonal antibodies against neurofilaments. In all cultures GFAP was selectively localized in astrocytes, both in perikarya and in cellular processes. The difference in immunoreactivity between particular cells and culture "zones", and considerable morphological polymorphism of the astrocytes were noted. In majority of cells the immunostaining for vimentin was very intensive, whereas reaction with antiserum against S-100 protein was weak or negative. Neurofilament antigen was localized only in neuronal processes lying in explants of the younger--one- to two-week cultures.