The contribution of cell-to-cell fusion to the ordered structure of the crystalline lens

In this report we demonstrate that the extensive intercellular network of communication within crystalline lenses (lens fiber cell gap junctions and cell-to-cell fusion between fiber cells) plays a key role in lens development and growth. We describe how the irregular shaped fusion zones can contain 'positional information' to spur 'intercalary growth' in the lens to bring about the highly ordered arrangement of fiber cells into radial cell columns and intricate suture patterns necessary to insure lens transparency.