Fig. 2

MIPfun partially restores lens transparency, optics, and nucleus centralization due to loss of Aqp0a. Representative lenses dissected from adult wild type (A) (SL = 20.1 mm), aqp0a?/? (B) (SL = 23.8 mm), and aqp0a?/?MIPfun transgenic zebrafish (C) (SL = 24.7 mm) imaged in equatorial orientation (through the optical axis) under brightfield (BF) or darkfield (DF) illumination reveal improved transparency in lenses expressing MIPfun (C) compared to aqp0a?/? (B). Similar improvement was seen in the ability of lenses to focus a grid. (D) Frequency of abnormal phenotypes in lenses from adult zebrafish (SL > 20 mm) was reduced in aqp0a?/? overexpressed MIPfun, with a complete loss of cataract. Refer to Supplementary Figure S1 for phenotype frequency by developmental stage. The same lenses from A to C were imaged perpendicular to the optical axis displayed the relative localization of the lens nucleus (E?G). (H) Overexpression of MIPfun results in the lens nucleus centralizing (closer to 0.0) more similar to wild type, compared to aqp0a?/? mutants, where the lens nucleus fails to centralize during development. The mean crossectional lens nucleus localization is statistically different at longer SLs between aqp0a?/? and transgenics overexpressing MIPfun (P = 0.000) as well as a difference in slopes (0.003). There is also a statistically significant difference between wild type and aqp0a?/?MIPfun slopes (P = 0.001) and at the shortest (P = 0.003) and longest (P = 0.002) SL cross-sectional means indicating partial rescue. Scale bars = 500 µm.