Fig. 1. Pax6 expression in C57Bl/6 mouse cornea. Localization of Pax6 protein to the corneal epithelium, but not the stroma or endothelium, is shown by bright-field microscopy using an antibody against Pax6 on cryosections from the central (A) and peripheral (B) corneal regions of a 6-week-old wild-type mouse. No primary antibody used (C) serves as a control. Higher magnification of central cornea (D) showed nuclear localization of Pax6, indicated by the brown immunoreactive product. DAPI counterstaining of nuclei (E) (on the same section as in D) revealed that most corneal epithelial cells produce Pax6, indicated by the quenching of DAPI fluorescence by the brown Pax6-dependent immunoreactive product. Epithelial cells in the most anterior layer of the cornea, however, fluoresce brightly (asterisks), indicating that Pax6 is reduced in this cell layer. Abbreviations: c, corneal epithelium; k, keratocyte; n, endothelium; s, stroma.

Return to article