Purpose: To examine the distribution of laminin (Ln) chains in basement membranes (BMs) of the human cornea, lens, and retina in fetal development.
Methods: Ten fetal eyes (9-20 weeks of gestation [wg]) were serially sectioned and treated with specific antibodies against the Ln-alpha1, -alpha2, -alpha3, -alpha4, -alpha5, -beta1, -beta2, -beta3, and -gamma1 chains.
Results: The BM of the corneal epithelium was reactive for Ln-alpha3, -alpha5, -beta1, and beta3 chains through all ages, whereas the Ln-alpha1 chain was present at 9 to 12 wg and the Ln-alpha4 chain from 10 wg. The Descemet's membrane (DM) was labeled with the Ln-alpha1 and -alpha4 chains at 10 to 17 wg, the Ln-alpha5 chain from 10 wg, the Ln-beta1 chain at 11 to 17 wg, and the Ln-beta3 chain from 17 wg. The Ln-alpha1, alpha5, -beta1, and -beta2 chains were present in the lens capsule and the internal limiting membrane (ILM) through all ages. The Bruch's membrane (BrM) was immunoreactive for the Ln-alpha3, alpha4, -alpha5, -beta1, and -beta2 chains through all ages, whereas the Ln-alpha1 chain was absent from 20 wg onward. The Ln-alpha2 chain was not detected in the eye, but it was present in the extraocular muscles.
Conclusions: BMs play an important role during morphogenesis, in that they influence cell proliferation, migration, and tissue differentiation. Lns are the major noncollagenous component of BMs. The presence of four different alpha chains, three beta chains, and one gamma chain of Ln in the eye reveals a high degree of complexity from the early stages of development and suggests an important role for the different Ln chains in human ocular differentiation.