Fig. 2

uhrf1 mutants possess abnormal lenses and cataracts. (A,C) Wild-type sibling and (B,D) uhrf1 mutant embryos at 5 dpf. Mutants possess defects in lens formation and cataracts. Pupils are smaller (inset in C,D) and lenses are malformed. (E–M) Transverse histology from wild-type, (H–J) “mild” and (K–M) “severe” uhrf1 mutants at (E,H,K) 4 dpf, (F,I,L) 5 dpf, and (G,J,M) 7 dpf. (H–J) Mild phenotypes include smaller lenses, anterior opacifications and some unraveling of lens fibers at the anterior and/or posterior of the lens. (K–M) Severe phenotypes include substantial opacifications throughout the lens, lens dysplasias, peripheral fiber unraveling from the core of differentiated fibers and lens degeneration. (N,O) Wild-type (N) and mild uhrf1 mutant (O) cryosections stained for F-actin. The uhrf1 anterior lenses contain disorganized, nucleated cells often in excess of the normal wild-type lens epithelial monolayer. (P,Q) TEM analyses of the lens sub-equatorial region in 7 dpf wild-type embryos (P) reveal early differentiating fibers (which still contain nuclei, white arrow) surrounded by the lens capsule (red arrow). In uhrf1 mutants (Q) the lens capsule is absent, and apoptotic lens fiber nuclei (white arrow) and intracellular gaps or tears in the mutant fibers (yellow arrow) are observed. Scale bars are 80 μm.