title: Raman spectra of duck, rat, and flounder lenses and the formation of dry and cold cataracts.
abstract: Raman spectra of duck, rat, and flounder lenses in fresh, dried, and frozen states were obtained for information about the role of water in the lens and to investigate whether changes in protein conformation accompany changes in the state of water. It was found that changes in the spectra caused by drying or freezing are very slight. This result is consistent with the view that significant conformational changes in the proteins do not cause or even accompany the formation of dry and cold cataracts and that these cataracts result from the supermolecular organization of the proteins.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001834:Body Water / Q000378:metabolism*; D002386:Cataract / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism*; D003080:Cold Temperature / Q000009:adverse effects; D003459:Crystallins / Q000378:metabolism; D003890:Desiccation; D004372:Ducks; D005399:Fishes; D005615:Freezing; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000378:metabolism*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D051381:Rats; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
chemical_list: D003459:Crystallins