Alpha A and alpha B-crystallins are a major protein component of the mammalian eye lens. Being a member of the small heat-shock protein family they possess chaperone-like function. The alpha-crystallins and especially alpha B is also found outside the lens having an extensive tissue distribution. Alpha B-crystallin is found to be over-expressed in many neurological diseases, and mutations in al...

Membrane from individual cataractous and normal human lenses has been prepared by discontinuous sucrose gradient centrifugation. A sensitive solid-phase radioimmunoassay has been developed to quantitate the levels of a, 0, and y crystallins associated with membrane obtained from each sucrose gradient interface. The results of this analysis demonstrate significant levels of all three crystallins...

OBJECTIVE To detect antibodies for lens βH-crystallins in the serum from the American Cocker Spaniel (ACS) presenting with and without cataracts and with and without uveitis. ANIMAL STUDIED Seventy-three American Cocker Spaniels and six normal Beagles. PROCEDURES Sera were collected from 73 ACSs, including those with normal lenses and those with cataracts, or uveitis. Fractionated, normal B...

A lens with a graded refractive index is required for vision in aquatic animals with camera-type eyes. This optical design entails a radial gradient of protein density, with low density in external layers and high density in internal layers. To maintain the optical stability of the eye, different material properties are required for proteins in different regions of the lens. In low-density regi...

Astaxanthin (ASTX), a carotenoid with potent antioxidant properties, exists naturally in various plants, algae, and seafoods. In this study, we investigated the in vitro ability of ASTX to protect porcine lens crystallins from oxidative damage by iron-mediated hydroxyl radicals or by calcium ion-activated protease (calpain), in addition to the possible underlying biochemical mechanisms. ASTX (1...

Interaction among crystallins is required for the maintenance of lens transparency. Deamidation is one of the most common post-translational modifications in crystallins, which results in incorrect interaction and leads to aggregate formation. Various studies have established interaction among the α- and β-crystallins. Here, we investigated the effects of the deamidation of αA- and αB-crystalli...

Background: Asp-isomers in lens crystallins are one of the triggers of cataracts. Results: Multiple highly isomeric Asp sites in insoluble crystallins from cataract lenses were identified by LC-MS using the corresponding synthetic peptides as standards. Conclusion: Asp-isomers induce insolublization of crystallin, leading to cataracts. Significance: This study opens up a new field of protein bi...

PURPOSE Ischemia-reperfusion injury (I/R injury) is known not only to induce hypoxic and oxidative stress, but also to cause retinal degeneration in rats. Crystallins, known to inhibit the formation of reactive oxygen species, reduce apoptotic cell death. Our goal was to clarify not only the role of I/R injury-mediated crystallins, but also to evaluate the correlation of these compounds to anti...

DEAE-purified rabbit beta crystallins have been studied by sedimentation on sucrose gradients ami their subunits characterized by co-electrophoresis in SDS-polyacrylamide gels. The experiments indicate that the beta crystallins isolated by DEAE-cellulose are a large family of related proteins with sedimentation velocities of about 4S. Deaggregation and denaturation of these proteins to polypept...