title: Spermine induces cataract and 43-kDa protein that binds spermine possibly participates in the cataract formation.
abstract: Among polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine), spermine specifically induces cataract in an organ cultured lens. Spermine uptake nearly paralleled the cataract formation. When polyamines were added to lens soluble proteins, spermine specifically induced turbidity. When lens soluble proteins were separated by gel chromatography, heavy-molecular-weight protein (HMW, high molecular form of alpha-crystallin) and proteins between betaH- and betaL-crystallin fractions reacted with spermine and aggregated. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the aggregated proteins showed that 43-kDa lens protein was commonly observed in both aggregates. Spermine-affinity chromatography of the total soluble proteins showed the binding of HMW protein to the gel and the chromatogram of the second turbidity peak in the gel chromatography showed the binding of 43-kDa protein. These results indicated that 43-kDa protein, which is present as a subunit in HMW and also in free form, binds spermine and induces turbidity of lens soluble proteins and produces cataract in a cultured lens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Mie University School of Medicine, Edobashi 2-174, Mie 514-8507, Tsu, Japan. maekawas@clin.medic.mie-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maekawa
authors.forename: Moto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kataoka
authors.forename: Yukitaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uji
authors.forename: Hiroshige
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hibasami
authors.forename: Kunio
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakashima
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002386:Cataract / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D003459:Crystallins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012995:Solubility; D013096:Spermine / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000633:toxicity; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D003459:Crystallins; D013096:Spermine