Expression of specific protein in the corneal epithelium during the morphogenesis of the mouse eye

The mouse anti-sheep 54.3KD water-soluble protein monoclonal antibody (MAb) , one kind of MAbs against specific proteins in the mammal corneal epitheli al cells, was tested in mouse embryonic eyes by immunohistochemical techniq ue using horseradish-peroxidase-conjugated sheep anti-mouse IgG. The result s indicated that this antibody began to stain lightly at embryonic day 13 ( E13) when the corneal epithelium was formed, and then caused very strong st aining during E14 and E17 when the corneal stroma and endothelium were form ed and the corneal epithelium was stratified. This was further verified by immuno-electronmicroscopic analysis. In addition, the immunocytochemical ex periment confirmed that 54.3KD protein was a kind of typical and specific w ater-soluble proteins of corneal epithelium, which distributed densely in t he nuclei of corneal epithelial cells at Phe same time as corneal different iation. Therefore, this water-soluble protein identified in the present stu dy as probably a developmentally regulated marker of mouse corneal epitheli um.