title: Evidence for the extralenticular expression of members of the beta-crystallin gene family in the chick and a comparison with delta-crystallin during differentiation and transdifferentiation.
abstract: The beta-crystallins are major water soluble proteins of vertebrate lens fibre cells and have previously been regarded as lens-specific proteins: however beta B2-and beta A3/A1-crystallin RNAs are transcribed and beta-crystallin polypeptides are detectable in the developing chick retina. The beta-crystallin RNA is transcribed in a subpopulation of retina cells and the number of transcribing cells and the level of beta-crystallin polypeptides increase during the differentiation of the retina. Several tissues express beta-crystallin polypeptides, but individual tissues are characterised by qualitative and quantitative differences in the beta- and delta-crystallin polypeptides expressed. The expression of beta-crystallins appears to be non-random as defined by tissue distribution, cellular localisation and ontogeny, implying a function for extralenticular beta-crystallins and a complex mechanism for the regulation of their expression.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cell, Animal and Population Biology, University of Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Head
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Peter
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Clayton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens; D003459:Crystallins / Q000235:genetics*; D015342:DNA Probes; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000502:physiology*; D005810:Multigene Family; D009132:Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D009928:Organ Specificity; D012313:RNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D003459:Crystallins; D015342:DNA Probes; D012313:RNA