Monoclonal antibody VC1.1 selectively stains a population of GABAergic neurons containing the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin in the rat cerebral cortex

Monoclonal antibody VC1.1 is shown to stain selectively a subpopulation of GABAergic neurons in the rat cerebral cortex. Almost all VC1.1 immunoreactive cells were also GABA-like immunoreactive (GABA-LI) and parvalbumin (PV) immunoreactive, whereas they were about 30% and 65% of GABA-LI and PV-positive cells in the parietal cortex and about 13% and 32% in the occipital cortex, respectively. Although a few VC1.1 positive cells showed somatostatinlike and/or cholecystokinin-like immunoreactivities, they were exceptional (less than 1% of VC1.1 positive cells). Furthermore about 90% of VC1.1 positive cells were also stained with a lectin, Vicia villosa agglutinin, with a specific affinity for terminal N-acetylgalactosamine.