LOSS OF CYTOSKELETAL PROTEINS AND LENS CELL OPACIFICATION IN THE SELENITE CATARACT MODEL

This study of lens protein composition found that some cytoskeletal pr oteins were degraded during the earliest stages of cataract formation. Cataract was induced in 13-14 day old rats by a single subcutaneous i njection of sodium selenite (19 mu mol kg(-1)). By 24 hr after the inj ection of selenite, the ratio of insoluble to soluble protein increase d as lens opacification began. The increase in insoluble protein aggre gates was correlated with an accelerated loss of proteins having molec ular weights of 42, 55/57 and 235 kDa which reacted with antibodies to the cytoskeletal proteins actin, tubulin/vimentin and spectrin, respe ctively. We observed the loss of 49, 60 and 90 kDa proteins which were not identified. In the lenses of animals protected from protein aggre gation and opacification by administration of 1.5 mmol kg(-1) pantethi ne; the pattern of proteins in SDS-PAGE gels resembled the pattern for proteins from transparent lenses of normal untreated animals and loss of cytoskeletal proteins was prevented. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limit ed.