PARTIAL CHARACTERIZATION OF 3 DISTINCT POPULATIONS OF HUMAN GAMMA-CRYSTALLINS

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 26  (4) , 525-531
Abstract
Certain low MW crystallins may be involved preferentially in the process of human cataractogenesis. Three distinct populations of monomeric crystallins with MW ranging from 19,000 to 24,000 have been demonstrated previously by electrphoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The chromatographic separation of these 3 components from young human lenses were reported. Each of the 3 spp. has unique profiles on isoelectric focusing and native polyacrylamide gels as well as on SDS gels. All 3 spp. show similar patterns of age-related modification in their charge characteristics. These 3 populations of polypeptides all appear to be .gamma.-crystallins. The relative amounts of the 3 vary with age, which accounts for the greater ease of their separation in extracts from young lenses as compared with adult lenses.