Fig. 1. Fibronectin protein is not required for lens transparency, but deposits around remnant LCs PCS.

(A) Dynamics of fibronectin protein deposition around remnant LCs PCS. At 0 h PCS, little to no fibronectin is associated with remnant LCs, although the outer surface of the lens capsule is fibronectin positive (red). Fibronectin starts to deposit around αSMA positive remnant LCs by 48 h PCS (arrow), and this deposition is more marked at 5 days PCS as PCO progresses. Fibronectin (red), αSMA (green), and DNA detected by Draq5 (blue). Scale bar-35 μm, C-lens capsule, LC-remnant lens cells. (B) Deletion of the fibronectin gene from the developing lens. Diagram of fibronectin gene locus showing the position of the loxP sites (left), and PCR results from DNA obtained from 9 week old control (wildtype-WT) and FNcKO lenses demonstrating successful deletion of the floxed fibronectin gene fragment in FNcKO lenses (right). (C) FNcKO lenses are morphologically similar to WT lenses. A dark field image showing that 9 week old WT (A) and FNcKO lenses (B) are both transparent; 200-mesh electron microscopy grid analysis of 12 week old WT (C) and FNcKO lenses (D) showing that fibronectin null lenses have refractive properties similar to WT; Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining showing the anterior epithelium of 9 week old WT lens (E) and FNcKO lens (F); H&E staining showing the transition zone of a 9 week old WT lens (G) and FNcKO lens (H) showing that FNcKO lenses are structurally normal although FNcKO fibers may stain more intensely with Eosin than WT. Abbreviations: le-lens epithelium, f - lens fiber cells, tz - transition zone. Scale bar Panels A, B - 1.0 mm; Panels C, D - 0.5 mm; Panels E, F, G, H – 150 μm.