Fig. 6. Eyes from Cx43-deficient mice display structural changes. Eye sections from nestin-cre/Cx43^+/flox (A,C) and nestin-cre/Cx43^flox/flox (B,D) mice at P7 were used for H and E staining (A,B) and anti-Cx43 immunostaining (C,D). (A,B) Clear changes are evident in the anterior eye in the homozygote at 1 week of age. The posterior pigmented epithelium of the iris detached from the myoepithelium, leaving a precipitate-filled space (B, asterisk). A precipitate is also visible in the anterior chamber (B, double asterisk) and in the posterior chamber adjacent to the ciliary body and ora serrata (B, triple asterisk). The insets A and B compare the ciliary body, lens bow (lb) and iris close to the corneal angle (CA). In the homozygote, there is a variable separation of the PE from the NPE leaving clear vacuoles (arrows, inset B). (C,D) Immunostaining reveals a loss of Cx43 from the pigmented epithelium (PE) and from the iris (which has split, leaving the posterior pigmented epithelium on the surface of the lens. Bars, 100 µm (insets at the same magnification).