KERA and cornea plana: The gene encoding keratocan (KERA), a proteoglycan involved in maintaining corneal shape in mice knock-out studies [15], and linked to abnormal corneal morphology (keratoconus and cornea plana) in humans, was selectively expressed in corneal tissue, as were the genes encoding lumican (LUM), a keratan sulfate-containing proteoglycan that has been shown to be important for mouse corneal transparency [16], and aquaporin 3 (AQP3), which encodes a water/small solute-transporting molecule.