Figure 7. Fiber cell fusion in a Hop null lens

During their maturation in Hop knockout lenses, fiber cells fuse with their neighbors. This section of a TgN(GFPU)5Nagy; Hop^-/- lens is cut perpendicular to the long axis of the fiber cells. GFP fluorescence is seen in a mosaic pattern in the peripheral fiber cells, similar to the pattern described previously for TgN(GFPU)5Nagy lenses that are wild type for Hop [24]. Deeper in the fiber mass, GFP fluorescence abruptly spreads to all cells, an indication of fiber cell fusion. This result shows that Hop is not required for the cell-cell fusion of fiber cells during their maturation.