Excessive ingestion of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids during developmental stage causes strain- and sex-dependent eye abnormalities in mice

► We studied the influences of dietary LC-PUFAs in dams (C57BL/6 and C3H/He) on eye morphogenesis and organogenesis of their pups. ► C57BL/6 dams fed LC-PUFA-enriched diet displayed a higher incidence of eye abnormalities than those from dams fed LC-PUFA-poor diet. ► The effects of LC-PUFAs on eye anomalies were evident only in the female pups of C57BL/6 inbred mice. ► These results demonstrate a gene-by-environment (GxE) interaction in eye development in mice. ► Furthermore, our molecular analysis suggested the potential roles of Pitx3 and Pax6 in the above interaction.