Figure 10

β-crystallin genes are expressed in PAX6-positive cells, including epithelial cells, in the lens of the Iberian mole. (A) The lens epithelium remains β-crystallin-negative at the s7 stage, but a weak β-crystallin expression is observed at the s8 stage. From s9 to adulthood, both fibre and epithelial cells show a similar β-crystallin-immunofluorescence. (B) In E18 mice samples, β-crystallin (red) is detected in the cytoplasm of lens fibres and Pax6 (green) in the nucleus of epithelial cells. In s5c mole embryos, the lens epithelium appeared PAX6-positive and β-crystallin-negative, but the fibre cells were positive for both proteins. At s10, all the lens cells, including the epithelial cells, showed immunoreactivity against both anti-PAX6 and anti-β-crystallin antibodies. The nuclei are stained blue with 4'6-diamidino-2-phenylindole stain. Photomicrographs were taken using a single bandpass fluorescence mirror unit and merged with 'The Gimp' software. Scale bar represents 100 μm in all figures of both A and B. LE, lens epithelium; FC, fibre cells.