Role of Neural Crest Cells in Establishing Corneal Transparency During Embryonic Development in Mice

Abstract

This study deciphers the exquisitely timed cellular and molecular symphony orchestrating corneal development in mice, revealing how neural crest cells (NCCs) transition from multipotent progenitors to architects of a light-transmitting, mechanically robust stroma. Between embryonic day 10 until birth, NCCs undergo posteroanterior differentiation marked by sequential downregulation of stemness markers, paralleled by collagen I deposition initiating at E12. Stromal expansion and keratocyte-driven ECM remodelling yield precisely aligned collagen fibrils within lamellae a configuration enabling transparency through destructive interference of scattered light. Keratocytes adopt a dendritic morphology to minimize light scatter, while secreting crystallin-like proteins that match refractive indices between cells and matrix. Corneal endothelial maturation and dynamic ECM stratification culminate in a tissue optimized for both optical clarity and structural resilience. Our study elucidates the complex choreography of cellular and molecular events underpinning corneal development, offering novel insights into the acquisition of the corneas unique optical and biomechanical properties.