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Opsin mRNA level and immunoreactivity were examined by in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry in normal and progressive rod cone degeneration (prcd)-affected dogs. In situ hybridization used 35S- and/or 3 H-labeled bovine opsin cRNA probes; immunocytochemistry used six monoclonal mouse anti-bovine opsin antibodies (MAb1) that are specific to different regions of the N-terminal, loop v-vi and the C-terminal domains. Optimal labeling and histological resolution at the single cell level were achieved with semi-thin sections of DGD wax-embedded tissues; it was possible to correlate the cytochemical observations with the disease staging in topographically defined regions that exhibited different disease severity. In early …