Immunohistochemical localization of fibrillin-1 protein in the cells of chick corneal and conjunctival epithelia during pre- and postnatal development.

Fibrillin-1 protein is a microfibrillar glycoprotein component of the extracellular matrix, widely distributed in ocular connective tissues. In this work, we show for the first time the expression pattern of fibrillin-1 protein in the corneal and conjunctival epithelia and in stromal keratocytes during embryo development. After hatching, protein expression was maintained in the corneal epithelium cells and nonsecreting epithelium cells of the conjunctiva and disappeared in the stromal keratocytes. In the limbus region, the basal cells were negative, while superficial cells were positive for the antibody. The expression in corneal epithelial cells suggests a role for fibrillin in development and disease. Therefore, some basal cells of the limbus region do not show fibrillin-1 immunolocalization, and this may be correlated with stem cell or stem-like properties.