Gap junctions containing α8-connexin (MP70) in the adult mammalian lens epithelium suggests a re-evaluation of its role in the lens

A missense mutation in one of the three lens connexins, α8-connexin, has been recently shown to be the genetic basis of the zonular pulverant lens cataract. This connexin had been considered to be expressed only in lens fibre cells. The present studies show that α8-connexin is also expressed in the lens epithelial cell layer. For this study, the distribution of gap junctions in the adult bovine lens has been investigated by confocal immunofluorescence microscopy using antibodies against α8-connexin (MP70) and α1-connexin (Cx43). In addition to the anticipated localisation of α8-connexin to the broad faces of lens fibre cells as reported in other species, α8-connexin was also found colocalized with α1-connexin at plaques in the lateral epithelial-epithelial plasma membranes of the bovine lens. These data suggest that mixed α8-connexin/α1-connexin plaques are between epithelial cells at their apico-lateral plasma membranes, rather than between epithelial and fibre cells. Indeed, freeze fracture analyses of the epithelial-fibre cell interface failed to reveal gap junctions connecting the epithelium and the underlying fibre cells. Importantly, microdissection and subsequent immunoblotting of lens epithelium samples confirmed the immunolocalisation results. The data suggest mature mammalian lens epithelial cells could form either heteromeric, heterotypic and/or mixed homomeric-homotypic gap junctional complexes with unique physiological properties, an important point when considering the role of epithelial cell connexins in cataractogenesis.