Integrin-Linked Kinase Deletion in the Developing Lens Leads to Capsule Rupture, Impaired Fiber Migration and Non-Apoptotic Epithelial Cell Death

Purpose. The lens is a powerful model system to study integrin-mediated cell-matrix interaction in an in vivo context, as it is surrounded by a true basement membrane, the lens capsule. To characterize better the function of integrin-linked kinase (ILK), we examined the phenotypic consequences of its deletion in the developing mouse lens.