Figure 4

Spry-deficient murine lenses develop anterior subcapsular plaques with evidence of an EMT. Representative histological sections of postnatal-d-26 mouse lenses deficient for all alleles of Spry1 and Spry2 (Spry^fl/fl/Spry2^fl/fl) using Le-Cre, stained with PAS reagent (A) or immunolabeled for α-sma (B). Lenses deficient for Spry develop a distinct anterior subcapsular plaque (A) with evidence of an EMT as numerous α-sma-labeled myofibroblastic cells (B) lay down, and are embedded within, a meshwork of extracellular matrix extending from the lens capsule. The lens capsule appears relatively normal on either side of the centrally located fibrotic plaque (A, arrowhead). Note that the lens tissue is attached anteriorly to the overlying Spry-deficient corneal tissue (A, asterisk), an association persisting from embryogenesis. Scale bar, 100 µm.