Hybrldomas were developed that secreted monoclonal antibodies against two proteokeratan sulfates (PKS) from rabbit corneal stroma. A total of 28 antibodies were isolated, all of the IgG type with k light chains. All were found to react with both PKSs. As judged by immunohistochemical staining, none of them reacted with scleral or eonjunctival components, nor with sections of skin, but all reacted with nasal cartilage. When tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, against components of the proteoglycans, all of the antibodies reacted with keratan sulfate-peptide (isolated from papain digests of PKS or of cartilage proteoglycan), and all but two reacted with oligosaccharide-containing protein cores (prepared by keratanase treatment of PKS). Reactivity with cores was probably due to residual portions of the keratan sulfate chains since the endogenous oligosaccharide-peptides (non-sulfated, non-keratan sulfate oligosaccharides isolated after papain digestion of PKS) were not active. None of the antibodies reacted with protein cores made by removal of carbohydrate by hydrolysis with trifluoromethanesulfonic acid. All except one reacted with fragments of keratan sulfate (made by keratanase digestion). These observations are evidence for structural requirements at three different levels of completeness of the antigen for recognition among the various antibodies. In addition, none of the antibodies reacted immunohistochemically with macular dystrophic corneas, confirming the finding of others that the defect lies in the keratan sulfate portion of the proteoglycans.