(John McCuaig is now a medical student at the University of Western Ontario)

Research Project:

Biomechanics of Mouse Lens: Investigating the Influence of Beaded Filament Proteins Towards the Structural Integrity of the Lens.

In this project, we will be evaluating the mechanical properties of the intact mouse lens, particularly those of wild-type strains relative to those modeling the human condition autosomal-dominant congenital cataracts (ADCC).

This is being accomplished by compressing individual lenses between two small plates, while measuring the force exerted upon the compression pieces by the lens as compression increases. ADCC model lenses are being obtained via transgenic mice lacking an intermediate filaments unique to the lens, phakosin: this special IF is known as a beaded filament protein, as it works along with the other beaded filament protein, filensin, to create the backbone for beaded filaments in ocular lenses. Without either, or both of, phakosin and filensin, beaded filaments do not form in the lens (this is also when ADCC has been observed). Through differences in mechanical properties found between the wild-type and beaded filament knockouts, we hope to demonstrate that beaded filaments serve a mechanical role in the ocular lens.

This study is in collaboration with John Hess and Paul FitzGerald of UC Davis, who supply the mice and have done much previous research regarding the genetics and lens development relating to ADCC.