The eye lens of the Antarctic toothfish living in the −2 °C Southern Ocean is cold-stable. To investigate the molecular basis of this cold stability, we isolated, cloned and sequenced 22 full length crystallin cDNAs. We found two α crystallins (αA, αB), six β crystallins (βA1, βA2, βA4, βB1, βB2, βB3) and 14 γ crystallins (γN, γS1, γS2, γM1, γM3, γM4, γM5, γM7, γM8a, γM8b, γM8c, γM8d, γM8e, and...

PURPOSE The prevalence of cataract increases with age. Conversely, the abundance of native α-crystallin diminishes with age and cataract development. We hypothesize replenishing lens α-crystallin may delay or prevent cataract. Herein we investigated the ability of cell penetration peptides (CPP) to enhance entry of α-crystallins into lens-derived cells. METHODS Recombinant αB-crystallins were...

The crystallins have relatively high refractive increments compared to other proteins. The Greek key motif in βγ-crystallins was compared with that in other proteins, using predictive analysis from a protein database, to see whether this may be related to the refractive increment. Crystallins with Greek keys motifs have significantly higher refractive increments and more salt bridges than other...

PURPOSE The photobiology of purified recombinant crystallins has not been studied. Here we examine photo-induced aggregation of purified recombinant mouse betaA3-crystallin (rbetaA3) and compare it with that of betaL-crystallins isolated from bovine lenses. METHODS rbetaA3-Crystallin was expressed in baculovirus-infected Sf9 cells and purified by ion-exchange and gel-filtration chromatography...

PURPOSE To identify modified crystallins associated with aging of lens and produce two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) proteome maps of crystallins in mouse lens. METHODS Lens proteins from mice of increasing age or different strains were separated by either chromatography or 2-DE. Masses of whole proteins or tryptic peptides were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Changes in the abundance of ...

PURPOSE The aim of this investigation was to exploit lens-specific glycated crystallins as an immunogen to detect human glycated crystallins and their circulating autoantibodies in human serum during aging in relation to the development of cataract. METHODS Polyclonal antibodies were produced against human total lens proteins (40-80 years) in rabbits. The specificity of the antibodies produce...

L he term "crystallin" applies to the major structural proteins responsible for the refractive properties of the lens." The crystallins generally make up 90% or more of the total protein mass. The crystallins are tightly packed in the lens fiber cells (Fig. 1). In vertebrates, the most common crystallins are the a, /3, and y families. In birds and reptiles, there is another major lens protein, ...

Introduction post-translational modifications [12] of a-crystallins we refer to other recent reviews. a-Crystallins owe their name to the fact that they are major eye lens proteins in vertebrates. They are abun­ dantly present in the lens and have a prominent role in maintaining the transparency and retractile properties of the lens (reviewed in [1-3]). There are two types of related subunits, ...

PURPOSE Crystallins are expressed at high levels in lens fiber cells. Recent studies have revealed that several members of the alpha, beta, and gamma-crystallin family are also distributed in many non-lens tissues, though at lower levels. We observed that the use of retinal RNA as target for both custom I-Gene microarrays and Affymetrix GeneChips revealed significant expression of many crystall...

PURPOSE To produce two-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE) maps for ovine crystallins and examine changes in ovine crystallins during cataract formation. METHODS Soluble and insoluble fractions were isolated from normal, whole lenses of 26-week-old sheep, the proteins separated by 2-DE, and the spots digested with trypsin and subjected to tandem mass spectral analysis. Spot identifications wer...