The major polypeptide (MIP) of lens fiber junctions and its synthesis in cultured differentiating lens epithelial cells.
Lens and liver contain many gap junctions, which for a long time have been considered to be very similar. Recent results, however, point to differences on morphological and biochemical levels, especially when the liver gap junction polypeptide (26,000 Daltons) is compared with the main intrinsic polypeptide (MIP) from lens junctions. The lens fiber specific MIP, which represents a marker molecule for lens cell differentiation could be detected by indirect immunofluorescence as well as by immunodiffusion in lens epithelial cells, which differentiated in vitro under distinct culture conditions. The fine structure of these differentiated cells is presented.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D020346:Aquaporins; D002449:Cell Aggregation; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D007365:Intercellular Junctions / Q000502:physiology*; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000502:physiology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D008970:Molecular Weight; D051381:Rats
D020346:Aquaporins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; C030328:aquaporin 0