Vimentin synthesis by ocular lens cells.

A study of the synthesis of the intermediate filament protein, vimentin, is reported here. The following systems were examined: the epithelial cells of the organ-cultured rabbit lens, the epithelial and cortical fiber cells of the organ-cultured adult chicken lens and the epithelial cells of the rabbit lens grown in tissue culture. Vimentin is actively synthesized by all of the above mentioned cells.