Distribution of two metabolically related fluorophors in human lens measured by laser microprobe.
Automated Raman microprobe spectrometry revealed the distribution of a major fluorophor, 3-OH-L-kynurenine-O-beta-glucoside, in human lenses from 0.38 to 71 yr. A three-dimensional perspective grid map with fluorescence intensity as the third dimension shows maximum fluorescence in the infant lens nucleus. At 12 yr the fluorescence peak is broadened and a toroid-shaped maximum occurs also in the outer cortex, creating a toroid-shaped minimum between the two maxima. By 71 yr the nuclear maximum is lower but a new (green) fluorophor (excitation 488 nm: emission 530 nm) has appeared as a toroidal maximum in the same location as the blue minimum, suggesting the conversion of the blue fluorophor to the unidentified green fluorophor.
School of Chemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta 30332.
N T
NT
Yu
B C
BC
Barron
J F
JF
Kuck
D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005960:Glucosides / Q000032:analysis*; D006027:Glycosides / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007737:Kynurenine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D007904:Lens Cortex, Crystalline / Q000032:analysis; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000032:analysis*; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
D005960:Glucosides; D006027:Glycosides; C029366:hydroxykynurenine glucoside; D007737:Kynurenine