[Expression of mutant eyeless genes in the mouse embryo retina]. / Ekspressiia mutantnykh genov eyeless v zachatke setchatki myshi.

The aim of the present study was to determine the cellular site of eyeless-I (ey-I) and eyeless-2 (ey-2) gene action, causing anophthalmia or microphthalmia. Eye primordia from 10-day-old embryos of ZRDCT-AN and CC57BR (control) mice were cultured in vitro for 3 or 6 days. In 59 out of 77 cultured mutant eye primordia neural retina was disturbed. In 9 mutant eye primordia the disturbed neural retina was 4-6 times thinner than in the control. However, lens differentiation was similar to that in the control, epithelial and fibrous components were observed. Thus, mutant genes eyeless inhibit the growth of primordial retina, causing secondary developmental defects of the lens and other eye structures.

[Cell differentiation of the head ectoderm in mouse embryos in vitro]. / Differentsirovka kletok golovnoi éktodermy zarodyshei myshi in vitro.

Cell differentiation has been studied in the explants of head ectoderm of 8, 9 and 10 day old mouse (CBA) embryos and of head epidermis of 13 day old embryos. Pieces of ectoderm were taken from the temporal region. It was established by indirect immunofluorescence that within 10, 15 and 20 days of cultivation spheroids with keratins or crystallins in some groups of fibres formed in the head ectoderm explants from 9 and 10 day old embryos. When cultivating the regions of head epidermis from 13 day old embryos, spheroids formed with keratin only in their cells. The data obtained suggest that there appear to be two clones of cells determined to the synthesis of keratins or crystallins in the head ectoderm of early mouse embryos. During embryogenesis, the number of cells determined to the synthesis of keratins appears to increase in the regions not related to the eye area. At the same time, the clone of cells determined to the synthesis of crystallins appears to be eliminated.

[Gamma- and beta-crystallin gene activation during lens morphogenesis in mice]. / Aktivatsiia genov gamma- i beta-kristallinov v morfogeneze khrustalika myshi.

Lens anlages from 10-day-old mouse embryos exposed to the treatment with actinomycin D during one hour were cultivated for 15, 18 or 20 hours. Expression of gamma- and beta-crystalline genes was studied by the indirect immunofluorescence technique. It is shown that the activation of gamma- and beta-crystalline genes took place in the first stages of the formation of lens fibers, when the cells of the proximal wall of the lens vesicle were undergoing the last mitotic cycle.

[Influence of mutant genes on crystallin synthesis in the forming mouse lens. II. Fidget and ocular retardation genes]. / Izuchenie deistviia mutantnykh genov na sintez kristallinov v formiruiushchemsia khrustalike myshi. Soobshchenie II. Geny fidget i ocular retardation.

The beginning of synthesis and the localization of alpha- and gamma-crystallins in the developing lenses of the 10-13 and 15 days old mouse embryos of the genotypes fi/fi +/+, +/+ or/or, fi/fi or/or and +/+ +/+ were studied by means of indirect immunofluorescence. The synthesis of crystallins in the mutant embryos with the exception of the embryo +/+ or/or was shown to begin somewhat later than in the normal ones but to proceed in all defective lenses, irrespective of the degree of defect. Hence, the activation of the genes controlling the synthesis of alpha-crystallins begins at the early stages of lens development and the synthesis of these proteins proceeds even during the abnormal with the slowing down of the formation of primary lens fibers. In the cases of strong defects of morphogenesis in the fi/fi +/+ and, especially, fi/fi or/or, embryos gamma-crystallins were not detected. The synthesis of gamma-crystallins appears to begin at the final stages of lens fiber differentiation.

[Effect of mutant genes on crystallin synthesis in the forming mouse lens. 1. Dominant gene cataract-Fr]. / Izuchenie deistviia mutantnykh genov na sintez kristallinov v formiruiushchemsia khrustalike myshi. Soobshchenie 1. Gen dominant cataract-Fr

The beginning of synthesis, localization and content of crystallins were studied in the developing lenses of 9--13 and 15 days old embryos of CatFr/CatFr and +/+ mice by means of immunofluorescence and polyacrilamide gel electrophoresis. The mutant gene CatFr was shown not to affect the crystallin synthesis. Alpha-crystallins are first to be synthesized in the cytoplasm of cells of the proximal part of the lens vesicle (10 days of development). Gamma-crystallins are detected for the first time in the lens of 11 days old embryos in the cytoplasm of developing lens fibers which lost their ability to divide. The differences in the time of synthesis of alpha- and gamma-crystallins are, possibly, related to their different role in the process of lens fiber differentiation.