Cell Death and Differentiation (1998) 5, 156 ± 162 1998 Stockton Press All rights reserved 13509047/98 $12.00 High frequency of persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous and cataracts in p53-de®cient mice Martin B Reichel1, Robin R. Ali1,4, Fabiana D'Esposito1, Abbreviations: Rb, retinoblastoma; HVS, hyaloid vascular Alan R. Clarke2, Philip J. Luthert3, Shomi S. Bhattacharya1 system; PHPV, persistent hyperplastic primary vitreous; and David M. Hunt1 PHTVL, persistent hyperplastic tunica vasculosa lentis; TUNEL, terminal dUTP nick-end labelling; SEM, scanning 1 Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Ophthalmology, University electron microscopy; H&E, hematoxylin and eosin College London, Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK 2 Department of Pathology, University of Edinburgh Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9AG, UK 3 Department of Pathology, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College Introduction London, Bath Street, London EC1V 9EL, UK Apoptosis is an important genetically-controlled mechanism 4 corresponding author: tel: 00 44 171 608 6817; fax: 00 44 171 608 6863; for eliminating cells which are either damaged, infected with email:
[email protected] virus or no longer required, as in the case in tissue turnover, Received 28.4.97; revised 5.8.97; accepted 9.9.97 embryogenesis and organ atrophy. It is characterised by a Edited by R.A. Knight number of features that include cytoplasmic shrinkage, chromatin condensation and internucleosomal DNA fragmen- tation. Although the role of the p53 gene in apoptosis was Abstract originally associated with its protective function in tissue In order to investigate whether the p53 gene product plays a following DNA damage, more recent studies on p53-deficient role in normal eye development, age matched p53-deficient mice have revealed a high frequency of developmental mice and wild-type controls were sacrificed from day 2 to day abnormalities suggesting a function for p53-dependent 21 after birth.