title: Accumulation of beta ig-h3 gene product in corneas with granular dystrophy.
abstract: We isolated and identified the major protein present in corneas with granular dystrophy (GCD). We compared Coomassie-blue-stained protein bands obtained on sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) from the extracts of corneas with GCD, corneas with other disorders, and normal human corneal tissue. After SDS-PAGE and transfer to a polyvinylidene difluoride membrane, bands of interest were analyzed by amino acid sequencing and by Western blotting. Corneas with GCD were also examined immunohistochemically. On SDS-PAGE a 63-kd band just below albumin was present in extracts of all corneas. The albumin/63-kd ratio was normally approximately 3:1, suggesting that the protein is a dominant constituent of the cornea. This band was much more plentiful than normal in corneas with GCD. Amino-terminal sequence analysis of the protein revealed a Gly-Pro-Ala-Lys-Ser-Pro-Tyr-Gln-Leu-Val-Leu-Gln-His-Ser-Arg sequence indistinguishable from an amino-terminal protein sequence deduced from a cDNA clone designated beta ig-h3, and it as well as the abnormal accumulations in GCD cross-reacted with beta ig-h3 antiserum. The presence of excessive beta ig-h3 in human corneas with GCD together with reported mutations in the beta ig-h3 gene in GCD suggests that the mutated gene product is a fundamental constituent of the characteristic corneal accumulations in GCD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA. klint001@mc.duke.edu
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Klintworth
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Valnickova
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Enghild
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D015153:Blotting, Western; D003315:Cornea / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003317:Corneal Dystrophies, Hereditary / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000235:genetics; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000099222:betaIG-H3 Protein
chemical_list: D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins; D005136:Eye Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D009842:Oligopeptides; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D000099222:betaIG-H3 Protein; C047981:arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid