Polygonal arrays of microfilaments in epithelial cells of the intact lens

Abstract

Polygonal arrays of microfilaments have been discovered to line the inner apical plasma membrane of anterior epithelial cells of the intact rabbit lens. When tangential sections are studied with the electron microscope, the polygonal arrays are seen to consist of central vertices interconnected by rays of filaments. The rays near the cell periphery insert into the lateral plasma membrane. The vertices are spaced about 1 μm apart and appear to be attached to the apical plasma membrane. The polygonal arrays have little depth as judged by stereo-pairs and are incorporated within the dense band of microfilaments seen in cross-section at the epithelio-fiber junction.

The diameter of the filaments and their similarity to actin-containing polygonal arrays described by other investigators in cultured cells suggest that these structures contain actin in lens epithelial cells. The function of the polygonal arrays in relation to maintenance of lens shape or to changes in lens shape in accommodation is discussed.