Prenatal development of the microphthalmic eye in the golden hamster

Prenatal development of the eye in a microphthalmic hamster strain ("anophthalmic white") is compared with established normal developmental periods. The mutant eye primordium is first distinguished at an average of ten gestational days (Period 6) by an incompletely invaginated optic cup, uniformly pseudostratified outer neuroepithelial layer and widely separated margins of the optic fissure. The outer layer of the mutant cup subsequently becomes abnormally thickened, especially posteriorly and midventrally, and, except in a few eyes with localized imperfect fusion, the optic fissure is unfused at twelve days (Period 9), by which time fusion is normally complete. At 13 to 15 days (Period 10-11) the fissure is unfused or irregularly fused in regions of variable location and extent. The occurrence of fissure fusion with concomitant loss of continuity between inner and outer epithelial layers is generally restricted to expanded anterior regions in 14-16 day (Periods 11-12) eyes. The presence of presumptive neural retina in the outer layer of the cup characterizes the mutant eye; and to varying degrees, in day 13-16 eyes, the presumptive neural retina (1) provides persistent continuity between the two cup layers, (2) forms both fused and unfused margins of the optic fissure, and (3) extends into an outer position of the optic cup. As early as 13 days (Period 10), nerve fibers are present in the outer layer of the cup, and by the last prenatal and first postnatal days (Period 12), ectopic nerve fiber bundles are widely distributed.