On the Role of the Substratum in Cell Shape Variations of Bovine Lens Cells

Reactivation of nuclei-containing lens fiber cells to mitotic growth in vitro is accompanied by the conversion of elongated fiber cells into epithelioidal cells, indistinguishable from cells derived from lens epithelium. This cell shape conversion does only occur if the fiber cells become attached to a suitable substratum. On the other hand, sub-cultured lens epithelial cells become transformed into long-stretched cells, resembling lens fibers, if they were embedded into reconstituted collagen gel. But up to now there is no evidence for the reappearance of α-crystallin in such elongated cells.