Lamprey 48‐kDa lens protein represents a novel class of crystallins

Abstract
SDS—PAGE revealed a major M r 48000 polypeptide of pI around 8 in the water-soluble fraction of lamprey lenses. It occurs as a monomeric protein, and its amino acid composition and tryptic peptides show no resemblances to α-, β-, γ- or δ-crystallin. Immunoblotting with antiserum against the 48-kDa protein revealed an immunologically related polypeptide of similar M r in reptiles, several birds and a fish, but showed no cross-reactivity with any other water-soluble lens component. The 48-kDa protein is not detected in many birds and fishes, and in the investigated mammals and amphibians.