title: Zeta-crystallin, a novel lens protein from the guinea pig.
abstract: Lens proteins from the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) were found to be similar to those of other mammals with the exception of the presence of a previously undescribed constituent comprising about 10% of the total soluble lens proteins. This oligomeric protein is composed of polypeptides with apparent molecular weight of 38,000 and elutes from gel exclusion chromatography columns in the beta H-crystallin fraction. Following purification by ion exchange chromatography an antibody was raised against the protein. Using that antibody and antibodies specific for other crystallins we could detect no cross-reactivity between the guinea pig protein and any other reported lens crystallin. This protein, which we have named zeta (zeta)-crystallin, is the first reported mammalian lens crystallin which is not part of the alpha- or beta-gamma families of crystallins. Unlike all other known mammalian crystallins, which have little or no alpha-helical structure, zeta-crystallin is estimated to be approximately 30-40% alpha-helix.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D002621:Chemistry; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D003429:Cross Reactions; D003459:Crystallins / Q000378:metabolism*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D006168:Guinea Pigs / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003459:Crystallins