title: Mutation screen of beta-crystallin genes in 274 patients with age-related macular degeneration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The crystallin family of proteins comprise the main structural proteins of the vertebrate lens and have been classified into alpha-, beta-, and gamma- families. Several of the beta-crystallin proteins have been detected in the retina where they are each localized to different compartments of rod and cone photoreceptors. Functionally, beta-crystallins have been implicated in the protection of the retina from intense light exposure. Two members of the beta-crystallins, CRYBB1 and CRYBB2, have been identified in drusen preparations isolated from the retina of donor eyes of patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the elderly population of developed countries. We therefore investigated CRYBB1 and CRYBB2 as candidate genes for AMD in 274 unrelated patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A mutation screen of the entire coding region of the CRYBB1gene uncovered eight sequence variations, including three missense changes, two intronic changes and three isocoding changes. A mutation screen of the entire coding region of the CRYBB2 gene uncovered three sequence variations, one isocoding change and two intronic changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although variant alleles of the CRYBB1 and CRYBB2 genes were found, none are considered pathogenic.
authors.affiliation: Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: Gwen M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Sturgill
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bala
authors.forename: Stacia S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Yaniglos
authors.forename: Neal S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Peachey
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hagstrom
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D018807:Polymorphism, Single-Stranded Conformational; D014792:Visual Acuity; D038206:beta-Crystallin B Chain / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C105601:CRYBB1 protein, human; D017931:DNA Primers; D038206:beta-Crystallin B Chain; C113634:beta-crystallin B2