Lens Development: Fiber Elongation and Lens Orientation

Coulombre, Jane L.; Coulombre, Alfred J.

doi:10.1126/science.142.3598.1489

Cited by 224 publications

(77 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…A lens that is rotated through 1808 to place the lens epithelium adjacent to the vitreous will completely repolarize over a period of days (Coulombre and Coulombre, 1963). This observation has suggested that diffusible stimuli present in the aqueous and vitreous may be responsible for imposing polarization as well as the size and shape of the lens.…”

Section: The Lensmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…The retina begins its differentiation from the outer layer of the optic cup and the pigmented epithelium from the inner layer. Cells of the lens vesicle are, in turn, influenced to begin differentiation by stimuli from the surrounding environment (Coulombre and Coulombre, 1963) that probably have their origin in the neural retina (Yamamoto, 1976). Recent evidence from in vivo studies suggests that one of the stimuli is a fibroblast growth factor (Chow et al, 1995;Robinson et al, 1995b) and its action results in the elongation of crystallinexpressing lens fiber cells from the posterior hemisphere of the lens.…”

Section: Programmed Cell Death During Early Eye Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Apoptosis in mammalian eye development: lens morphogenesis, vascular regression and immune privilege

Lang

1997

Cell Death Differ

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Formation of the mammalian eye requires a complex series of tissue interactions that result in an organ of exquisite sensory capability. The early steps in eye development involve extensive cell death associated with morphogenesis. Later, suppression of programmed cell death is essential for tissue differentiation and in the adult, the immune privileged status of the eye is maintained in part through factors that induce inflammatory cell apoptosis. Experimental evidence suggests that suppression of apoptosis in cells of the lens lineage by fibroblast growth factors is one component of their action during lens morphogenesis. Fibroblast growth factors are also required for normal lens fiber-cell differentiation. This includes a degenerative step for organelles that is presumably an adaptation for the clearance of light scattering elements from the optic axis. The process of organelle degeneration may be related to apoptosis in a few of its features. Activelyinduced apoptosis becomes important for eye development as the temporary ocular vasculatures regress. This too, is presumably an adaptation for the disposal of cells that would disturb the passage of light to the retina. Ocular macrophages appear to be essential for the induction of apoptosis in the endothelial cells comprising the ocular vasculatures. In the adult, inflammatory cells entering the eye are exposed to the pro-apoptotic agents transforming growth factor-b2 and Fas ligand. The expression of these molecules in the eye, and their action in killing inflammatory cells, has evolved as a means of preventing inflammation and subsequent loss of vision. Thus, the eye offers a unique and versatile system for studying the role of programmed cell death in lens development, vascular regression and immune privilege.

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Section: The Lensmentioning

confidence: 94%

Section: Programmed Cell Death During Early Eye Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Apoptosis in mammalian eye development: lens morphogenesis, vascular regression and immune privilege

Lang

1997

Cell Death Differ

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“…However, at later developmental stages the optic vesicle appears to play an important role for further maturation of the lens [35][36][37][38]. Explant assays in chick have provided evidence that gastrula stage prospective lens placodal cells cultured alone, without interactions of the neuroectoderm, epidermal ectoderm or underlying mesoderm, generate cells of lens character [19,22,23], suggesting that the initial specification of lens cells is independent of tissue interactions.…”

Section: Tissue Interactionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The lens: a classical model of embryonic induction providing new insights into cell determination in early development

Gunhaga

2011

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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The lens was the first tissue in which the concept of embryonic induction was demonstrated. For many years lens induction was thought to occur at the time the optic vesicle and lens placode came in contact. Since then, studies have revealed that lens placodal progenitor cells are specified already at gastrula stages, much earlier than previously believed, and independent of optic vesicle interactions. In this review, I will focus on how individual signalling molecules, in particular BMP, FGF, Wnt and Shh, regulate the initial specification of lens placodal cells and the progressive development of lens cells. I will discuss recent work that has shed light on the combination of signalling molecules and the molecular interactions that affect lens specification and proper lens formation. I will also discuss proposed tissue interactions important for lens development. A greater knowledge of the molecular interactions during lens induction is likely to have practical benefits in understanding the causes and consequences of lens diseases. Moreover, knowledge regarding lens induction is providing fundamental important insights into inductive processes in development in general.

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“…At the equator, these daughter cells elongate and differentiate to form a new layer of secondary fiber cells, covering the previously formed fiber cells. Each cuboidal epithelial cell elongates more than 100 times its original length generating substantial plasma membrane area, as it becomes a fiber cell (Coulombre and Coulombre, 1963).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional expression of aquaporins in embryonic, postnatal, and adult mouse lenses

Varadaraj

Kumari

Mathias

2007

Developmental Dynamics

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Aquaporin 0 (AQP0) and AQP1 are expressed in the lens, each in a different cell type, and their functional roles are not thoroughly understood. Our previous study showed that these two AQPs function as water transporters. In order to further understand the functional significance of these two different aquaporins in the lens, we investigated their initiation and continued expression. AQP0 transcript and protein were first detected at embryonic stage (E) 11.25 in the differentiating primary fiber cells of the developing lens; its synthesis continued through the adult stage in the secondary fiber cells. Low levels of AQP1 expression were first seen in lens anterior epithelial cells at E17.5; following postnatal day (P) 6.5, the expression gradually progressed towards the equatorial epithelial cells. In the postnatal lens, the increase in membrane water permeability of epithelial cells and lens transparency coincides with the increase in AQP1 expression. AQP1 expression reaches its peak at P30 and continues through the adult stage both in the anterior and equatorial epithelial cells. The enhancement in AQP1 expression concomitant with the increase in the size of the lens suggests the progression in the establishment of the lens microcirculatory system. In vitro and in vivo studies show that both aquaporins share at least one important function, which is water transport in the lens microcirculatory system. However, the temporal expression of these two AQPs suggests an apparently unique role/s in lens development and transparency. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the expression patterns of AQP0 and AQP1 during lens development and differentiation and their relation to lens transparency. Developmental Dynamics 236:1319 -1328, 2007.

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Lens Development: Fiber Elongation and Lens Orientation

Cited by 224 publications

References 5 publications

Apoptosis in mammalian eye development: lens morphogenesis, vascular regression and immune privilege

Apoptosis in mammalian eye development: lens morphogenesis, vascular regression and immune privilege

The lens: a classical model of embryonic induction providing new insights into cell determination in early development

Functional expression of aquaporins in embryonic, postnatal, and adult mouse lenses

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