(A) Active TGFβ1 treated FNcKO capsular bags exhibit
robust pSMAD2/3 levels (a measure of active TGFβ signaling)
(***P ≤ 0.001), as well as robust expression of the
fibrotic markers αSMA (**P = 0.001) and collagen I
(**P ≤ 0.034) along with the profibrotic factor
gremlin- (**P = 0.004) at 5 days PCS. In contrast, tenascin C
deposition is not increased in FNcKO capsular bags after TGFβ1 treatment
(P = 0.979) and the robust pSMAD1/5/8 levels indicative of
active BMP signaling are also not affected at 5 days PCS (P =
0.286). (B) Treatment of FNcKO capsular bags with exogenous active
TGFβ1 induces the upregulation of
α5-integrin(***P ≤ 0.001),
β1-integrin(**P 0.001), and αV-integrin
expression (*P = 0.018), as well as pFAK levels
(*P = 0.025), in FNcKO LCs at 5 days PCS. Collagen I,
tenascin C, gremlin-1, pSMAD2/3 (downstream of TGFβ signaling),
pSMAD1/5/8 (downstream of BMP signaling), α5-integrin,
β1-integrin, αV-integrin, and pFAK (red) merged with αSMA
(green) and DNA detected either by Draq5 or DAPI (blue). Scale bars: 35
μm; C, lens capsule; LC, remnant lens epithelial cells. All experiments
had N = 3. Values are expressed as mean ± SEM. Asterisks (*) indicate
statistically significant difference in MFI between WT and/or FNcKO and/or FNcKO
(TGFβ1) at 5 days PCS..