Non-fluorescent dye staining of primate blue cones

The intravitreal injection in macaque retina of the fluorescent dye Procion yellow can selectively label a specific cone population whose eccentricity distribution and angular separation are consistent with those of the blue-sensitive cones of human and non-human primate retinas. Because at the concentrations used the dye is poorly visible in conventional light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy is required for the observation of the stained cones. In this paper we describe several alternative methods for the staining of blue cones in primate retina, staining that can be visualized in conventional light microscopy and, with some methods, electron microscopy.