ALPHA-CRYSTALLIN POLYPEPTIDES IN DEVELOPING CHICKEN LENS CELLS

We provide evidence that the different cells that form the chicken len s have isoelectric variants of alpha-crystallins at early and late dev elopmental stages. We separated the alpha A and alpha B-crystallin sub classes by sodium dodecylsulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis a nd then further resolved each by isoelectric focusing and assays with specific anti alpha-crystallin antibodies. We found that the annular p ad, cortical and nuclear fibers, as well as the epithelial cells, cont ain alpha A and alpha B native chains and their respective isoelectric variants. These results on adult and embryonic lenses obtained a shor t time after the onset of alpha-crystallin expression suggest that len s cells, having different phenotypes, are able to produce posttranslat ional modifications of the alpha A and alpha B chains as a part of the ir developmental program. (C) 1995 Academic Press Limited