Fig. 4. A novel human lens epithelial explant model for studying cataractogenesis.

Following 5 days of culture, phase contrast microscopy shows that untreated human lens epithelial explants (A, anterior capsulorhexis tissue obtained in surgery) remain as a normal cuboidal layer of epithelial cells, with membranous localization of β-catenin and minimal α-SMA (B) viewed with confocal microscopy. Immunofluorescence labeling was performed as described previously (Shu et al., 2016). Treatment with 10 ng/ml TGFβ2 displayed an elongate, spindle-shaped morphology (C). Although β-catenin remained localized to the membrane in TGFβ2-treated explants, the label no longer highlighted the normal cobblestone-packed arrangement as in control explants (D). TGFβ-treated explants exhibited strong immunoreactivity for α-SMA, co-labeling to stress fibers (D). Scale bar: 100 µm (A, C), 25 µm (B, D).