Ankyrin-B is required for the establishment and maintenance of lens cytoarchitecture, mechanics, and clarity.

Abstract

The transparent ocular lens is essential for vision by focusing light onto the retina. Despite recognizing the importance of its unique cellular architecture and mechanical properties, the molecular mechanisms governing these attributes remain elusive. This study aims to elucidate the role of ankyrin-B (AnkB), a membrane scaffolding protein, in lens cytoarchitecture, growth, and function using a conditional knockout (cKO) mouse model. AnkB cKO mouse has no defects in lens morphogenesis but exhibited changes that supported a global role for AnkB in maintenance of lens clarity, size, cytoarchitecture, membrane organization, and stiffness. Notably, absence of AnkB led to nuclear cataract formation, evident from P16. AnkB cKO lens fibers exhibit progressive disruption in membrane organization of the spectrin-actin cytoskeleton, cell adhesion and channel proteins, loss and degradation of several membrane proteins (e.g., NrCAM. N-cadherin and aquaporin-0) along with a disorganized plasma membrane and impaired membrane interdigitations. Furthermore, absence of AnkB led to decreased lens stiffness. Collectively, these results illustrate the essential role for AnkB in lens architecture, growth and function through its involvement in membrane skeletal and protein organization and stability.