title: Degradation of vimentin in frozen rat lenses.
abstract: Rat lenses stored for extended periods at -20 degrees C showed degradation and eventual disappearance of vimentin. This may have been caused by the rupture of cells and/or organelles by growing ice crystals and the subsequent release and diffusion of proteases. Besides the disappearance of vimentin there was also a decrease in the intensity of the beta B1 polypeptide after 3 months storage. The observations reported herein are generally qualitative in nature, but should serve to alert other investigators of a potential problem.
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Department, Adelphi University, Garden City, N.Y 11530, USA.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Bettelheim
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Zigler
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D015925:Cryopreservation; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000378:metabolism; D009926:Organ Preservation; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014746:Vimentin