β-catenin stabilization in lens fiber cells results in cataract.

(A) Schematic diagram of delβ-CAT transgenic construct. (B) delβ-CAT transgenic protein is detected in adult mutant lenses (Tg) with anti-Ha-tag antibody. (C) N-terminally deleted β-catenin is detected in transgenic lenses (Tg) with anti-β-catenin antibody. Note that the delβ-cat protein is expressed in higher amount than endogenous β-catenin. (D) qRT-PCR demonstrates upregulated mRNA expression of Axin2 in newborn delβ-CAT lenses (*p<0.05). Ocular phenotype of adult wild-type (E, G) and delβ-CAT (F, H) mice, adult transgenic mice develop cataract, indicated with arrows (F, H). (I-L) Histological sections of adult wild-type (I) and transgenic (J, K, L) eyes and detail view of wild-type (I′) and delβ-cat (J′, K′, L§) lens fiber cell compartment (fc). Scale bars indicate (I, J, K, L) 500 µm and (I′, J′, K′, L′) 200 µm.