title: Human lens beta-crystallin solubility.
abstract: The human lens is composed primarily of water and proteins called crystallins. Insolubility of these crystallins is correlated with aging and cataractogenesis. The alpha-crystallins have chaperone-like activity in maintaining the solubility of denatured beta- and gamma-crystallins. One established test of this chaperone activity is the ability of alpha-crystallin to prevent thermal destabilization of beta-crystallins. Several studies have addressed the effects of structural modifications of alpha-crystallin on chaperone activity, but little is known about the solubilities of the various beta-crystallins or the effects of post-translational modifications. Understanding the solubilities of different forms of beta-crystallins is important to elucidating the mechanism of chaperone activity. In this study, the solubilities of beta-crystallins were examined. The beta-crystallins included the gene products of betaB2, betaA1/A3, betaA4, and betaB1 as well as forms modified in vivo. Analysis of the beta-crystallins by high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry before and after heating revealed large differences in the relative solubilities of the beta-crystallins. These results demonstrate a decreased solubility of specific beta-crystallins and post-translational modifications that may play a role in the crystallin insolubility associated with aging and cataract.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0304, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001216:Asparagine / Q000032:analysis; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D003459:Crystallins / Q000737:chemistry*; D005973:Glutamine / Q000032:analysis; D005978:Glutathione / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007903:Lens Capsule, Crystalline / Q000737:chemistry*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010449:Peptide Mapping; D012995:Solubility; D012996:Solutions
chemical_list: D003459:Crystallins; D012996:Solutions; D005973:Glutamine; D001216:Asparagine; D005978:Glutathione