title: Lens proteasome shows enhanced rates of degradation of hydroxyl radical modified alpha-crystallin.
abstract: Proteasome, a high molecular weight protease complex (HMP, approximately 600 kDa) was isolated from bovine eye lens epithelium tissue. In contrast with prior reports, lens proteasome degraded the major lens protein alpha-crystallin and S-carboxymethylated bovine serum albumin at 37 degrees C, mostly to trichloroacetic acid precipitable polypeptides. The proteasome, thus isolated, was labile at 55 degrees C. As indicated by the ability of p-chloromercuribenzoate and N-ethylmaleimide to block activity, a thiol group is required for activity. Alpha-crystallin was oxidized by exposure to 60Co-irradiation under an atmosphere of N2O (1-50 kilorads). This dose delivered 0.1-5.7 mol of hydroxyl radicals per mol of crystallin. Irradiation resulted in increased heterogeneity, aggregation, and fragmentation of the crystallin preparation. The proteolytic susceptibility of alpha-crystallin to the lens HMP was enhanced by the irradiation in a dose-dependent manner up to 20 kilorads (.OH concentration up to 2.3 mol per mol of alpha-crystallin). When 50 kilorads (5.7 mol .OH per mol of alpha-crystallin) was used, there was extensive aggregation and no enhancement in proteolysis over the unirradiated sample. The data indicate that the lens HMP can degrade mildly photooxidized lens proteins, but proteins which are extensively damaged are not degraded and may accumulate. This may be related to cataract formation.
authors.affiliation: USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jahngen
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Davies
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003459:Crystallins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006868:Hydrolysis; D006878:Hydroxides; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000378:metabolism*; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000378:metabolism*; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex
chemical_list: D003459:Crystallins; D006878:Hydroxides; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D046988:Proteasome Endopeptidase Complex