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Lens Epithelium and Posterior Capsular Opacification pp 25–38Cite as

Cell Biology of Lens Epithelial Cells

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Abstract

The epithelium of the vertebrate lens plays a critical role in tissue homeostasis and maintenance of lens clarity. The epithelium is the most metabolically active region of the lens and contains all the mitotically active cells. Cell division in the epithelium occurs exclusively in the germinative zone, a swathe of cells encircling the lens just above the equator. Fibroblast growth factor, a molecule with a demonstrated role in lens fiber cell differentiation, may promote epithelial cell division although other growth factors likely contribute. The organization of cells within the lens epithelium has often been likened to a cobblestone pattern. However, recent three-dimensional imaging studies have revealed that individual epithelial cells have a complex, polarized anatomy, with morphologically distinct apical and basolateral domains. The apical membrane is delineated by a hybrid junctional complex consisting of adherens junctions and tight junctions. Adherens junctions play a critical role in epithelial organization and loss of nectins or cadherins, two core components of adherens junctions, has catastrophic consequences for lens organization and transparency. Tight junctions, the apical-most junctional element, restrict the paracellular flow of ions into the lens but also serve as scaffolds for an assemblage of important polarity proteins. Targeted disruption of the partitioning defective (Par) family of polarity proteins results in loss of apical cell junctions and promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Ave, 8096, St. Louis, MO, 63117, USA

    Steven Bassnett

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  1. Steven Bassnett
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Correspondence to Steven Bassnett .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Wakayama Medical University School of Medicine, Wakayama, Wakayama, Japan

    Shizuya Saika

  2. John A. Moran Eye Center University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA

    Liliana Werner

  3. School of Medical Sciences Anatomy & Histology, Lens Research Laboratory The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

    Frank J. Lovicu

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Bassnett, S. (2014). Cell Biology of Lens Epithelial Cells. In: Saika, S., Werner, L., Lovicu, F. (eds) Lens Epithelium and Posterior Capsular Opacification. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54300-8_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54300-8_2

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