Fig. 5. Wnt CM induces elongation of lens epithelial cells. Explants were pre-stimulated with 50 ng/ml FGF2 or Wnt3a CM for 1 hour, followed by stimulation with control medium, Wnt3a CM, 50 ng/ml FGF for 5 days, or in the presence of 50 µM U0126 or DMSO. Explants were also cultured with vehicle or control medium in the absence of stimulation. Untreated explants or explants cultured in control medium after pre-stimulation with FGF2 showed normal epithelial cell morphology (A,C,E,I). Explants pre-stimulated by Wnt3a and cultured in Wnt3a did not undergo morphological change (B). However, explants that were pre-stimulated by FGF2 and cultured for 5 days in Wnt3a elongated (F) similar to explants cultured continuously with FGF2 (D). In the presence of DMSO (as a control for U0126), explants cultured with FGF2/Wnt CM showed a cell elongation (G). However, cell elongation did not occur in the presence of U0126 (H). Scale bar: 50 µm.