Purification and some properties of low molecular weight crystallins from camel lens (Camelus dromedarius)

Comp Biochem Physiol B. 1993 Dec;106(4):983-7. doi: 10.1016/0305-0491(93)90061-9.

Abstract

1. The use of an Ultrogel AcA 54 gel-filtration column separates camel lens cortex low molecular weight proteins into four peaks containing beta s-, gamma 1-, gamma 2- and gamma 3-crystallins. 2. The molecular weight of beta s-crystallin corresponded to 29 kDa on SDS-PAGE and showed three major bands between pH 5.85 and 8.45 on isoelectric focusing. In addition, as compared to gamma-crystallins it has a lower degree of homology in amino acid composition, a low sulfhydryl content and a blocked N-terminal amino acid. 3. gamma 1-, gamma 2- and gamma 3-crystallins appeared homogenous on SDS-PAGE and their molecular weights were recorded as 23, 22 and 21 kDa. The isoelectric points of the gamma-crystallin fractions ranged from pH 6.55 to 8.60 and they were found to have an unmodified glycine at the N-terminal end. 4. The three camel gamma-crystallin fractions were similar in molecular weight, isoelectric points, amino acid composition, sulfhydryl concentration and N-terminal amino acid.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / analysis
  • Animals
  • Camelus*
  • Chromatography, Gel
  • Crystallins / chemistry*
  • Crystallins / isolation & purification*
  • Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel
  • Glycine / analysis
  • Isoelectric Point
  • Lens, Crystalline / chemistry*
  • Molecular Weight

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Crystallins
  • Glycine