title: The effects of ageing on the chaperone-like function of rabbit alpha-crystallin, comparing three methods of assay.
abstract: The lens has a high protein content necessary for focusing light on to the retina. Alpha-Crystallin accounts for approximately 40% of the protein and has been shown to act in a chaperone-like manner. Here we show the effects of ageing on the chaperone-like properties of alpha-crystallin from rabbit lens. Three assays were used to determine chaperone ability. Non-enzymatic glycosylation inactivation of malate dehydrogenase is protected by alpha-crystallin. Thermal aggregation of beta-low crystallin and malate dehydrogenase are both prevented by alpha-crystallin. Three ages of rabbit lens were used. Alpha-Crystallin from the soluble fraction of the cortex and nucleus were investigated as well as alpha-high and alpha-low fractions resolved by size-exclusion chromatography. All three methods complemented each other. There was no age-dependent loss in chaperone-like behaviour for both alpha fractions in the cortex. There was an early decrease with age of the nuclear alpha-low fraction. Nuclear alpha-high shows no age-related decrease but its chaperoning ability is greatly compromised. Post-translational modifications which occur during ageing may be responsible for the effect of alpha-crystallin chaperone-like ability in the lens nucleus.
authors.affiliation: Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology, University of Oxford, UK.
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Derham
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Harding
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D003459:Crystallins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006031:Glycosylation; D008291:Malate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism; D018832:Molecular Chaperones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011499:Protein Processing, Post-Translational; D011817:Rabbits
chemical_list: D003459:Crystallins; D018832:Molecular Chaperones; D008291:Malate Dehydrogenase