Scientific Commended

Distribution of melanopsin-positive immuno-histochemical staining in a wholemount of skin from a part of the dorsal surface of an adult Xenopus  laevis. The image shows part of a lateral line stitch with three immuno-positive lateral line organs surrounded by several small circular immuno-positive dermal melanophores. Two separate compartments of dense immunopositive staining are evident in each organ with fine immuno-positive processes emanating away from the centre.

The tissue was incubated in a 1:2000 dilution of a polyclonal antibody to melanopsin raised in rabbit against Xenopus dermal melanophores (CERN972; de Grip). The second antibody (biotinylated anti-rabbit - Vector Labs) was revealed using diaminobenzidine. Control incubations in the absence of either the primary or the second antibody resulted in tissue devoid of immunostaining.