title: Connexin23 deletion does not affect lens transparency.
abstract: While connexin46 (Cx46) and connexin50 (Cx50) are crucial for maintaining lens transparency and growth, the contributions of a more recently identified lens fiber connexin, Cx23, are poorly understood. Therefore, we studied the consequences of absence of Cx23 in mouse lenses. Cx23-null mice were generated by homologous Cre recombination. Cx23 mRNA was abundantly expressed in wild type lenses, but not in Cx23-null lenses. The transparency and refractive properties of Cx23-null lenses were similar to wild type lenses when examined by darkfield microscopy. Neither the focusing ability nor the light scattering was altered in the Cx23-null lenses. While both Cx46 and Cx50 localized to appositional fiber cell membranes (as in wild type lenses), their levels were consistently (but not significantly) decreased in homozygous Cx23-null lenses. These results suggest that although Cx23 expression can influence the abundance of the co-expressed lens fiber connexins, heterozygous or homozygous expression of a Cx23-null allele does not alter lens transparency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. Electronic address: vberthou@peds.bsd.uchicago.edu.
authors.forename: Viviana M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Berthoud
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Minogue
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Snabb
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Yulia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dzhashiashvili
authors.affiliation: Illinois College of Optometry, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Layne A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Novak
authors.affiliation: Illinois College of Optometry, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Zoltoski
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Popko
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Eric C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Beyer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002386:Cataract / Q000378:metabolism; D017630:Connexins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D017384:Sequence Deletion
chemical_list: D017630:Connexins
keywords: Cataract; Connexin; Gap junction; Knockout mouse