Mutant gene expression in murine aggregation chimeras. 7. The effect of the aphakia gene--disorder in the formation of the crystalline capsule

An analysis of aphakia (ak) gene expression in 16 day ak/ak C/C----+/+ c/c chimaeric embryos has shown, that ak gene, acting in developing lens, blocks lens cell differentiation and disturbs the formation by these cells of the extracellular matrix composing the lens capsule material. The dependence of capsule structure in chimaeras on the genotype of underlying cells indicates that lens cells are responsible for the formation of lens capsule.