Crystallin synthesis in the lens rudiment of a strain of mice with congenital anophthalmia.

Immunofluorescence with anti-crystallin antisera was done on the eye rudiments of mouse embryos of a congenitally anophthalmic strain. In a few of the embryos a lens vesicle formed, which, although much smaller than in controls and delayed in development, appeared morphologically normal. alpha-Crystallin could be identified in the cells of the rudiments. In addition the cells looked cytologically similar to those of the normal lens vesicle; they were elongated and the nuclei displayed interkinetic nuclear migration. Therefore, the surface ectoderm of the anophthalmia mouse can differentiate into a lens vesicle that appears biochemically and cytologically normal. This indicates that the optic vesicle in this mutant is capable of inducing a lens, while the surface ectoderm can respond to the stimulus in a normal fashion.