[Expression of mutant eyeless genes in the mouse embryo retina].

The aim of the present study was to determine the cellular site of eyeless-I (ey-I) and eyeless-2 (ey-2) gene action, causing anophthalmia or microphthalmia. Eye primordia from 10-day-old embryos of ZRDCT-AN and CC57BR (control) mice were cultured in vitro for 3 or 6 days. In 59 out of 77 cultured mutant eye primordia neural retina was disturbed. In 9 mutant eye primordia the disturbed neural retina was 4-6 times thinner than in the control. However, lens differentiation was similar to that in the control, epithelial and fibrous components were observed. Thus, mutant genes eyeless inhibit the growth of primordial retina, causing secondary developmental defects of the lens and other eye structures.