NONCHROMATIN NUCLEAR PROTEINS OF MAMMALIAN LENS EPITHELIAL-CELLS

The nuclear matrix (NM) proteins of six tissue cultured lens epithelia l cell lines and one embryonic rabbit epidermal cell line were analyze d to determine possible tissue and species specificity of these protei ns. The NM proteins were isolated by the modified Penman technique. Th e tissue cultured cells were pulsed with [S-35] methionine and nuclear matrix proteins were fractionated by two-dimensional (2-D) gel electr ophoresis. The 2-D gels were dried and autoradiographed. The relative abundance of spot patterns of nuclear matrix proteins of different cel ls were compared. The data from these experiments revealed that all th e examined cell lines have distinct spot patterns, however, all of NM profile showed a spot pattern in the 45 kDa region with acidic pH. Som e of these spots cross-reacted with anti-vimentin antibodies, whereas a prominent protein spot in this region did not cross react with eithe r vimentin or actin antibodies. The observed variations in the NM prot ein patterns of lens epithelial cells may reflect tissue and species s pecificity and also a role in the regulatory properties of these nucle ar proteins in the eye tissue development. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.