Figure 1

Localization of melanocytes and CD117 expression in situ. (A) Immunohistochemical analysis of corneoscleral tissue sections showing melanocytes (red) colocalize with clusters of tightly packed cytokeratin(CK)15⁺ (green) limbal epithelial progenitor cells (z-stack image) but not with CK3⁺ (green) cells. Melanocytes in the basal layers (red) colocalize with vimentin (green), but subepithelial vimentin⁺ stromal cells not showing expression of Melan-A (z-stack image). Nuclear counterstaining with 4′,6‐diamidino‐2‐phenylindole (DAPI, blue). (B) Immunohistochemistry of tissue sections showing the presence of CD117⁺ cells (green) in the basal layer of limbal epithelium and in the blood vessels of limbal stroma (white arrows) (z-stack image). The dotted line represents the basement membrane. Immunofluorescence double labeling of corneoscleral tissue sections showing coexpression of CD117⁺ cells (green) with Melan-A (red), vimentin (red) but not with epithelial progenitor marker CK15 (red). CD117 expression not observed in the subepithelial vimentin⁺ stromal cells (red). Nuclei are counterstained with DAPI (blue).