Zeta-crystallin, a novel protein from the guinea pig lens is related to alcohol dehydrogenases

zeta-Crystallin is a bcl-2 mRNA binding protein involved in bcl-2 overexpression in T-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia

The human antiapoptotic bcl-2 gene has been discovered in t(14;18) B-cell leukemias/lymphomas because of its overexpression caused at a transcriptional control level by the bcl-2/IgH fusion gene. We were the first to disclose the post-transcriptional control of bcl-2 expression mediated by interactions of an adenine + uracil (AU)-rich element (ARE) in the 3'-UTR of bcl-2 mRNA with AU-binding proteins (AUBPs). Here, we identify and characterize zeta-crystallin as a new bcl-2 AUBP, whose silencing or overexpression has impact on bcl-2 mRNA stability. An increased Bcl-2 level observed in normal phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-activated T lymphocytes, acute lymphatic leukemia (ALL) T-cell lines, and T cells of patients with leukemia in comparison with normal non-PHA-activated T lymphocytes was concomitant with an increase in zeta-crystallin level. The specific association of zeta-crystallin with the bcl-2 ARE was significantly enhanced in T cells of patients with ALL, which accounts for the higher stability of bcl-2 mRNA and suggests a possible contribution of zeta-crystallin to bcl-2 overexpression occurring in this leukemia.

Crystal structures of Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 quinone oxidoreductase and its complex with NADPH

Zeta-crystallin-like quinone oxidoreductase is NAD(P)H-dependent and catalyzes one-electron reduction of certain quinones to generate semiquinone. Here we present the crystal structures of zeta-crystallin-like quinone oxidoreductase from Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (PtoQOR) and its complexes with NADPH determined at 2.4 and 2.01A resolutions, respectively. PtoQOR forms as a homologous dimer, each monomer containing two domains. In the structure of the PtoQOR-NADPH complex, NADPH locates in the groove between the two domains. NADPH binding causes obvious conformational changes in the structure of PtoQOR. The putative substrate-binding site of PtoQOR is wider than that of Escherichia coli and Thermus thermophilus HB8. Activity assays show that PtoQOR has weak 1,4-benzoquinone catalytic activity, and very strong reduction activity towards large substrates such as 9,10-phenanthrenequinone. We propose a model to explain the conformational changes which take place during reduction reactions catalyzed by PtoQOR.

Expression and purification of his-tagged recombinant mouse zeta-crystallin

Zeta-crystallin is an NADPH-binding protein consisting of four identical 35kD subunits. The protein possesses quinone oxidoreductase activity, and is present in large amounts in the lenses of camelids, certain hystricomorphic rodents, and the Japanese tree frog, and in lower catalytic amounts in certain tissues of various species. In this study, recombinant methods were used to produce substantial quantities of his-tagged recombinant mouse zeta-crystallin, which was then purified to homogeneity. The yield of pure recombinant mouse zeta-crystallin was five times that obtained previously for purification of recombinant guinea pig zeta-crystallin. The quinone oxidoreductase activity of purified his-tagged recombinant mouse zeta-crystallin was comparable to that of purified native guinea pig lens zeta-crystallin, and to that previously reported for recombinant guinea pig zeta-crystallin. The method permits production of substantial amounts of recombinant zeta-crystallin for conducting studies on the biological role of this interesting protein, which exists in such high concentration in the lenses of certain species.

Crystal structures of the quinone oxidoreductase from Thermus thermophilus HB8 and its complex with NADPH: implication for NADPH and substrate recognition

The crystal structures of the zeta-crystalline-like soluble quinone oxidoreductase from Thermus thermophilus HB8 (QOR(Tt)) and of its complex with NADPH have been determined at 2.3- and 2.8-A resolutions, respectively. QOR(Tt) is composed of two domains, and its overall fold is similar to the folds of Escherichia coli quinone oxidoreductase (QOR(Ec)) and horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase. QOR(Tt) forms a homodimer in the crystal by interaction of the betaF-strands in domain II, forming a large beta-sheet that crosses the dimer interface. High thermostability of QOR(Tt) was evidenced by circular dichroic measurement. NADPH is located between the two domains in the QOR(Tt)-NADPH complex. The disordered segment involved in the coenzyme binding of apo-QOR(Tt) becomes ordered upon NADPH binding. The segment covers an NADPH-binding cleft and may serve as a lid. The 2'-phosphate group of the adenine of NADPH is surrounded by polar and positively charged residues in QOR(Tt), suggesting that QOR(Tt) binds NADPH more readily than NADH. The putative substrate-binding site of QOR(Tt), unlike that of QOR(Ec), is largely blocked by nearby residues, permitting access only to small substrates. This may explain why QOR(Tt) has weak p-benzoquinone reduction activity and is inactive with such large substrates of QOR(Ec) as 5-hydroxy-1,4-naphthoquinone and phenanthraquinone.

Novel use of bovine zeta-crystallin as a conformational DNA probe to characterize a phase transition zone and terminally differentiating fiber cells in the adult canine ocular lens

Using a novel immunocytochemical staining method, we aimed to characterize the phase transition zone (PTZ) (approximatly 100 microm) in adult ocular lenses and the process of terminal differentiation (denucleation) within normal fiber cells. The binding to DNA of zeta-(zeta) crystallin (Z-DNA-binding protein) and anti-double-stranded (ds-)-B-DNA antibody probes was found to decline gradually throughout denucleating fibers, with a precipitous decrease occurring at about 100 microm (PTZ). Nuclei of superficial fiber cells (in front of the PTZ) showed the highest DNA probe-binding values, followed by middle fibers (MF) and deep fibers (DF). With the use of zeta-crystallin, anti-ds-B-DNA antibody, and anti-single stranded (ss-) DNA antibody probes, it was possible to reveal a loss of reactivity of fiber cell ds-DNA. Ss-DNA antibody binding was seen initially in the MF and reached its highest intensity level in the DF. The pattern of zeta-crystallin probe-DNA reactivity correlates with the loss of anti-B-DNA antibody staining and decreased eosin-protein staining. These data suggest that a reorganization of DNA and intracellular protein supramolecular order in normal adult lenses occurs at a depth of about 100 microm (PTZ).

Taxon-specific zeta -crystallin in Japanese tree frog (Hyla japonica) lens

The present study demonstrated that the 38-kDa protein, instead of rho-crystallin (36 kDa), is expressed taxon specifically in the lens of Japanese tree frog (Hyla japonica). The 38-kDa protein was distinguished from rho-crystallin expressed in the lenses of bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) and European common frog (Rana temporaria) immunochemically. Although the N terminus of the 38-kDa protein was blocked, the analyses of partial amino acid sequences showed that the protein was zeta-crystallin. Analysis of cDNA sequence encoding zeta-crystallin of the tree frog lens demonstrated that the deduced protein consisted of 329 amino acids including initial methionine and having 62.2 and 62.9% identity with zeta-crystallin of camel and guinea pig lenses, respectively. The molecular mass of the deduced structure was calculated to be 35,564 Da. zeta-Crystallin of the tree frog lens exhibited the intrinsic enzymatic activity of quinone reductase (EC, NADPH:quinone oxidoreductase). The crystallin specifically catalyzed the reduction of 9,10-phenanthrenequinone (Km, 42 microm) using NADPH (Km, 60 microm) as a cofactor. The enzymatic activity was inhibited by dicumarol, anti-coagulant drug, with IC50 of 4 microm. On gel filtration chromatography, the crystallin was recovered as 150-kDa molecular mass complex, indicating that the crystallin was homotetramer consisting of 38-kDa subunits. The crystallin gene was expressed specifically in the lens. These results show that taxon-specific crystallins such as zeta- and rho-crystallins may be available for the biochemical discrimination of Hyla- and Rana groups among frogs.

Expression of recombinant zeta-crystallin in Escherichia coli with the help of GroEL/ES and its purification

zeta-Crystallin is a taxon-specific crystallin found in the eye lens of guinea pig and other hystricomorph rodents and camelids. It is an NADPH:quinone oxidoreductase and is also present in low amounts in other tissues where it might act as a detoxifying enzyme. A lens-specific promoter confers lens-specific expression of the gene in high amounts where it is speculated to play a structural role in maintaining the transparency of the lens ensemble. A deletion mutation leads to autosomal dominant congenital cataract and also results in the loss of NADPH binding. In order to perform structural studies with the protein with an aim to delineate the cause of cataract in these mutant guinea pigs, recombinant zeta-crystallin was cloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The overexpression of the protein in E. coli resulted in a major fraction of it partitioning into inclusion bodies. The co-overexpression of the bacterial chaperone system GroEL/ES along with zeta-crystallin could significantly enhance the yield of soluble protein. Active zeta-crystallin could then be purified from the E. coli using Mono Q anion exchange FPLC and was found to be identical to the native zeta-crystallin isolated from the guinea pig lens with respect to size, spectral properties, and activity.

Quinone oxidoreductase message levels are differentially regulated in parasitic and non-parasitic plants exposed to allelopathic quinones

Allelopathic chemicals released by plants into the rhizosphere have effects on neighboring plants ranging from phytoxicity to inducing organogenesis. The allelopathic activity of naturally occurring quinones and phenols is primarily a function of reactive radicals generated during redox cycling between quinone and hydroquinone states. We isolated cDNAs encoding two distinct quinone oxidoreductases from roots of the parasitic plant Triphysaria treated with the allelopathic quinone 2,6-dimethoxybenzoquinone (DMBQ). TvQR1 is a member of the zeta-crystallin quinone oxidoreductase family that catalyzes one-electron quinone reductions, generating free radical semiquinones. TvQR2 belongs to a family of detoxifying quinone oxidoreductases that catalyze bivalent redox reactions which avoid the radical intermediate. TvQR1 and TvQR2 message levels are rapidly upregulated in Triphysaria roots as a primary response to treatment with various allelopathic quinones. Inhibition of quinone oxidoreductase enzymatic activity with dicumarol prior to quinone treatment resulted in increased transcript levels. While TvQR2 homologs were upregulated by DMBQ in roots of all plants examined, TvQR1 homologs were upregulated only in roots of parasitic plants. Phylogenetic trees constructed of TvQR1 and TvQR2 protein homologs in Archea, Eubacteria and Eukaryotes indicated that both gene families are ancient, yet the families have dissimilar evolutionary histories in angiosperms. We hypothesize that TvQR2-like proteins function to detoxify allelopathic quinones in the rhizosphere, while TvQR1 has specific functions associated with haustorium development in parasitic plants.

High-affinity binding of NADPH to camel lens zeta-crystallin

Fluorescence spectrum of camel lens zeta-crystallin, a major protein in the lens of camelids and histicomorph rodents, showed maximum emission at 315 nm. This emission maximum is blue shifted compared to most proteins, including alpha-crystallin, and appeared to be due to tryptophan in highly hydrophobic environment. Interaction of NADPH with zeta-crystallin quenched the protein fluorescence and enhanced the fluorescence of bound NADPH. Analysis of fluorescence quenching suggested high-affinity interaction between NADPH and zeta-crystallin with an apparent Km<0.45 microM. This value is at least an order of magnitude lower than that suggested by activity measurements. Analysis of NADPH fluorescence showed a biphasic curve representing fluorescence of free- and bound-NADPH. The intersection between free- and bound-NADPH closely paralleled the enzyme concentration, suggesting one mole of NADPH was bound per subunit of the enzyme. Phenanthrenequinone (PQ), the substrate of zeta-crystallin, also was able to quench the fluorescence of zeta-crystallin, albeit weaker than NADPH. Quantitative analysis suggested that zeta-crystallin had low affinity for PQ in the absence of NADPH, and PQ binding induced significant conformational changes in zeta-crystallin.

Zeta-crystallin catalyzes the reductive activation of 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene to generate reactive oxygen species: a proposed mechanism for the induction of cataracts

Exposure to 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) has been shown to cause induction of cataract in which oxidative stress plays a critical role. From bovine lens we purified to homogeneity and identified an enzyme that catalyzes the reduction of TNT, resulting in the production of reactive oxygen species. The final preparation of TNT reductase showed a single band with a subunit molecular weight of 38 kDa on SDS-PAGE. Sequence data from peptides obtained by digestion with lysylendopeptidase Achromobacter protease I (API) revealed that TNT reductase is identical to zeta-crystallin. Superoxide anions were formed during reduction of TNT by zeta-crystallin, though negligible enzyme activity or protein content for superoxide dismutase, a superoxide scavenging enzyme, was found in the lens. Thus, the present results suggest that the induction of cataracts by TNT may be associated with increased oxidative stress, as a result of reductive activation of TNT generating superoxide anions, there being minimal antioxidant enzyme activity for defense against reactive oxygen species exogenously produced in the lens.

A novel NADPH:diamide oxidoreductase activity in arabidopsis thaliana P1 zeta-crystallin

The zeta-crystallin (ZCr) gene P1 of Arabidopsis thaliana, known to confer tolerance toward the oxidizing drug 1,1'-azobis(N, N-dimethylformamide) (diamide) to yeast [Babiychuk, E., Kushnir, S., Belles-Boix, E., Van Montagu, M. & Inzé, D. (1995) J. Biol. Chem. 270, 26224], was expressed in Escherichia coli to characterize biochemical properties of the P1-zeta-crystallin (P1-ZCr). Recombinant P1-ZCr, a noncovalent dimer, showed NADPH:quinone oxidoreductase activity with specificity to quinones similar to that of guinea-pig ZCr. P1-ZCr also catalyzed the divalent reduction of diamide to 1,2-bis(N,N-dimethylcarbamoyl)hydrazine, with a kcat comparable with that for quinones. Two other azodicarbonyl compounds also served as substrates of P1-ZCr. Guinea-pig ZCr, however, did not catalyze the azodicarbonyl reduction. Hence, plant ZCr is distinct from mammalian ZCr, and can be referred to as NADPH:azodicarbonyl/quinone reductase. The quinone-reducing reaction was accompanied by radical chain reactions to produce superoxide radicals, while the azodicarbonyl-reducing reaction was not. Specificity to NADPH, as judged by kcat/Km, was > 1000-fold higher than that to NADH both for quinones and diamide. N-Ethylmaleimide and p-chloromercuribenzoic acid inhibited both quinone-reducing and diamide-reducing activities. Both NADPH and NADP+ suppressed the inhibition, but NADH did not, suggesting that sulfhydryl groups reside in the binding site for the phosphate group on the adenosine moiety of NADPH. The diamide-reducing activity of P1-ZCr accounts for the tolerance of P1-overexpressing yeast to diamide. Other possible physiological functions of P1-ZCr in plants are discussed.

Inhibition of camel lens zeta-crystallin/NADPH:quinone oxidoreductase activity by Cibacron blue

Camel lens zeta-crystallin/NADH:quinone oxidoreductase activity was inhibited by Cibacron blue 3GA (CB) with 9.10-phenanthrenequinone (PQ) as an electron acceptor and NADPH as an electron donor in a time-independent and concentration dependent manner. The IC50 value of CB was 50 nM. The Lineweaver-Burk plots and the secondary plots indicated that the inhibition was linear mixed type (partial competitive and pure noncompetitive) with respect to NADPH and noncompetitive with respect to PQ. The estimated inhibition constant (Ki) values were 26.0 nM for NADPH and 55.0 nM for PQ respectively, suggesting that CB has high affinity towards the NADPH binding site. The secondary plots of inhibition with respect to NADPH, also indicate a dissociation constant (Ki) value of 68.0 nM for the zeta-crystallin-NADPH-CB complex. This Ki being greater than the Ki value suggests that noncompetitive inhibition is predominant over competitive inhibition at the NADPH binding site.

Arabidopsis thaliana NADPH oxidoreductase homologs confer tolerance of yeasts toward the thiol-oxidizing drug diamide

To isolate new plant genes involved in the defense against oxidative stress, an Arabidopsis cDNA library in a yeast expression vector was transformed into a yeast strain deficient in the YAP1 gene, which encodes a b-Zip transcription factor and regulates general stress response in yeasts. Cells from approximately 10(5) primary transformants were subjected to a tolerance screen toward the thiol-oxidizing drug diamide, which depletes the reduced glutathione in the cell. Four types of Arabidopsis cDNAs were isolated. Three of these cDNAs (P1, P2, and P4) belong to a plant zeta-crystallin family and P3 is an Arabidopsis homolog of isoflavonoid reductases. As such, all four isolated cDNAs are homologous to NADPH oxidoreductases. P1, P2, and P3 steady-state mRNAs accumulated rapidly in Arabidopsis plants under various oxidative stress conditions, such as treatment with paraquat, t-butylhydroperoxide, diamide, and menadione. The data suggested that proteins encoded by the isolated cDNAs play a distinct role in plant antioxidant defense and are possibly involved in NAD(P)/NAD(P)H homeostasis.

A super-family of medium-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (MDR). Sub-lines including zeta-crystallin, alcohol and polyol dehydrogenases, quinone oxidoreductase enoyl reductases, VAT-1 and other proteins

The protein super-family of medium-chain alcohol dehydrogenases (and glutathione-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase), polyol dehydrogenases, threonine dehydrogenase, archaeon glucose dehydrogenase, and eye lens reductase-active zeta-crystallins also includes Escherichia coli quinone oxidoreductase, Torpedo VAT-1 protein, and enoyl reductases of mammalian fatty acid and yeast erythronolide synthases. In addition, two proteins with hitherto unknown function are shown to belong to this super-family of medium-chain dehydrogenases and reductases (MDR). Alignment of zeta-crystallins/quinone oxidoreductases/VAT-1 reveals 38 strictly conserved residues, of which approximately half are glycine residues, including those at several space-restricted turn positions and critical coenzyme-binding positions in the alcohol dehydrogenases. This indicates a conserved three-dimensional structure at the corresponding parts of these distantly related proteins and a conserved binding of a coenzyme in the two proteins with hitherto unknown function, thus ascribing a likely oxidoreductase function to these proteins. When all forms are aligned, including enoyl reductases, a zeta-crystallin homologue from Leishmania and the two proteins with hitherto unknown function, only three residues are strictly conserved among the 106 proteins characterised within the superfamily, and significantly these residues are all glycines, corresponding to Gly66, Gly86 and Gly201 of mammalian class I alcohol dehydrogenase. Notably, these residues are located in different domains. Hence, a distant origin and divergent functions, but related forms and interactions, appear to apply to the entire chains of the many prokaryotic and eukaryotic members. Additionally, in the zeta-crystallins/quinone oxidoreductases, a highly conserved tyrosine residue is found. This residue, in the three-dimensional structure of the homologous alcohol dehydrogenase, is positioned at the subunit cleft that contains the active site and could therefore be involved in catalysis. If so, this residue and its role may resemble the pattern of a conserved tyrosine residue in the different family of short-chain dehydrogenases/reductases (SDR).

Xenobiotic induction of quinone oxidoreductase activity in lens epithelial cells

Xenobiotic regulatory elements have been identified for enzymes which ameliorate oxidative damage in cells. Zeta (zeta)-crystallin, a taxon-specific enzyme/crystallin shown to be a novel NADPH-dependent quinone reductase, is found in a number of tissues and cell types. This study shows that zeta-crystallin is present in mouse lens epithelium, as well as in the alpha TN4 mouse lens epithelial cell line. To determine whether zeta-crystallin is an inducible quinone reductase, cell cultures were exposed to the xenobiotics, 1,2-naphthoquinone and beta-naphthoflavone. Assays of cellular homogenates showed that quinone reductase activity was stimulated greater than 70% and 90%, respectively, over the control cells. This observed activity was sensitive to dicumarol, a potent inhibitor of quinone reductase activity. 1,2-Naphthoquinone- and beta-naphthoflavone-exposed cells were found to exhibit 1.47- and 1.68-fold increases, respectively, in zeta-crystallin protein concentration. A comparable increase in zeta-crystallin mRNA was indicative of an induction in zeta-crystallin expression in response to naphthalene challenge. Lens epithelial cells were also checked for DT-diaphorase, a well-known cellular protective enzyme which can catalyze the two-electron reduction of quinones. Slot blot analyses indicated that alpha TN4 cells exposed to 1,2-naphthoquinone and beta-naphthoflavone exhibited 2.71- and 6.81-fold increases in DT-diaphorase concentration when compared to the control cells. The data suggest that while DT-diaphorase is most likely responsible for the majority of the observed increase in quinone reductase activity, the zeta-crystallin gene also undergoes activation which is apparently mediated by a xenobiotic-responsive element.

The 92-min region of the Escherichia coli chromosome: location and cloning of the ubiA and alr genes

A cosmid (pND320) bearing 42.5 kb of Escherichia coli chromosomal DNA, including the genes between xylE and ssb near minute 92 on the linkage map, was isolated by selection for complementation of a dnaB mutation. Known nucleotide (nt) sequences were used to align restriction maps in this region to the physical map of the chromosome (coordinates 4319.5 to 4362 kb), and to locate precisely and define the orientations of 19 genes. Predicted physical linkage of sequenced genes across unsequenced gaps of defined length was confirmed by the nt sequence analysis of fragments subcloned from pND320. Mutant complementation by plasmids showed that ubiA is located between malM and plsB. A previously sequenced long open reading frame that encodes the C-terminal portion of the E. coli ubiA product (4-hydroxybenzoate polyprenyltransferase, HPTase) shows a high degree of sequence identity with the corresponding segment of yeast HPTase (the COQ2 gene product). Comparison of homologous regions from E. coli and Salmonella typhimurium was used to locate precisely the gene alr that encodes alanine racemase (ARase) between dnaB and tyrB. Subcloning of alr downstream from tandem bacteriophage lambda promoters produced a plasmid that directed high-level overproduction of a soluble approx. 40-kDa protein with ARase activity.

Zeta-crystallin versus other members of the alcohol dehydrogenase super-family. Variability as a functional characteristic

Species variability of the lens protein zeta-crystallin was correlated with those of alcohol dehydrogenases of classes I and III and sorbitol dehydrogenase in the same protein family. The extent of overall variability, nature of residues conserved, and patterns of segment variability, all fall within the limits typical of the 'variable' group of medium-chain alcohol dehydrogenases. This shows that zeta-crystallin is subject to restrictions similar to those of classical liver alcohol dehydrogenase and therefore derived from a metabolically active enzyme like other enzyme crystallins. Special residues at the active site, however, differ substantially, including an apparent lack of a zinc-binding site. This is compatible with altered functional properties and makes the spread within this medium-chain dehydrogenase family resemble the wide spread within the short-chain dehydrogenases. Schematic plotting is useful for illustrating the differences between 'variable' and 'constant' enzymes.

VAT-1 from Torpedo is a membranous homologue of zeta crystallin

VAT-1 is a major protein from Torpedo synaptic vesicles. A protein data-base search revealed a striking homology to zeta crystallin from guinea pig lens. The overall amino-acid identity is 27%, and 58% similarity is reached by including conserved substitutions. The highest similarity (60% to 85%) between the two proteins is observed in five discrete domains, which are also conserved in zinc-dependent dehydrogenases, particularly in the alcohol dehydrogenase family. The cofactor-binding domain of oxidoreductases is conserved in VAT-1 and in zeta crystallin. VAT-1 preferably binds NADPH in the presence of zinc. In contrast with its homologous proteins, VAT-1 is an integral membrane protein of synaptic vesicles.

Carbonyl-metabolizing enzymes and their relatives recruited as structural proteins in the eye lens

The refractive properties of the eye lens are determined by abundant soluble structural proteins known as crystallins. While some crystallins are common to most vertebrates, others are abundant only in groups of related species. These taxon-specific crystallins all turn out to be enzymes, apparently recruited by modification of gene expression without prior gene duplication. They include eta-crystallin, accounting for up to 25% of protein in elephant shrew lenses and apparently identical to cytoplasmic aldehyde dehydrogenase; rho-crystallin from frog lenses, a member of the same superfamily as aldose and aldehyde reductases; and zeta-crystallin, found in guinea pig and camel lenses, which is structurally related to alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). Unlike ADH, zeta-crystallin requires NADPH rather than NAD+/NADH as cofactor. Molecular modelling of zeta-crystallin shows that amino-acid changes around the co-factor binding site are responsible for this change in affinity. Purified guinea pig lens zeta-crystallin has a substrate preference for orthoquinones which are reduced by a single electron transfer mechanism. cDNA sequencing of zeta-crystallin suggests that the expression in lens as a crystallin depends on a different gene promoter from that used predominantly in liver. The putative guinea pig zeta-crystallin lens promoter has now been assayed for function in transfection studies. Elements with positive and negative effects on transcription, at least one of which has tissue preferred function, have been defined. When introduced into transgenic mice this promoter exhibits tissue-specific expression in the lens. This is the first identification of a lens-specific, alternative promoter in an enzyme crystallin gene.

A guinea-pig hereditary cataract contains a splice-site deletion in a crystallin gene

A congenital cataract present in guinea pigs provided a unique opportunity to study a hereditary lens disease at the molecular level. zeta-Crystallin, one of the most abundant guinea pig lens proteins, was found to be altered in the lens of cataractous animals. Several zeta-crystallin cDNA clones were isolated from a cataractous lens library and found to contain a 102-bp deletion towards the 3' end of the coding region. This deletion does not interfere with the reading frame but results in a protein 34 amino acids shorter. Sequence analysis of a normal genomic zeta-crystallin clone revealed that the missing 102-bp fragment corresponds to an entire exon (exon 7). PCR analysis of the genomic DNA isolated from cataractous animals showed that exon 7, though missing from the mRNA, is intact in the cataractous genome. Further sequence analysis of the zeta-crystallin gene disclosed a dinucleotide deletion of the universal AG at the acceptor splice-site of intron 6 of the mutant gene. The presence of this mutation results in the skipping of exon 7 during the mRNA processing which in turn results in the altered zeta-crystallin protein. This is the first time a genomic mutation in an enzyme/crystallin gene has been directly linked to a congenital cataract.

Levels of reduced pyridine nucleotides and lens photodamage

Since most of the known factors that are associated with cataract formation are oxidative in nature, one would expect that a highly reductive environment might arrest or retard the progress of cataract formation. Reduced nucleotides, both NADH and NADPH, are potent reductants with a large negative redox potential of -320 mV. Lenses of certain species contain high levels of these nucleotides, presumably due to the presence of taxon specific crystallins. We have utilized this situation to investigate whether the levels of reduced pyridine nucleotides modulate photo-oxidative damage to the lens. We have monitored the time dependent loss of tryptophan fluorescence upon photodamage for lenses from guinea pig, rabbit and frog (Rana) that contain high levels of pyridine nucleotides and compared with the lenses from rat, Xenopus and a mutant strain of guinea pig that contain significantly lower amounts of these nucleotides. About 75% and 90% of the initial fluorescence intensity is lost in the case of rat and Xenopus lenses, respectively, after a total of 35 min exposure. Rabbit, guinea pig and frog lenses, under identical conditions, show only about 35-40% loss of the initial fluorescence. It appears that the lenses that contain high levels of reduced nucleotides are less susceptible to photodamage. The observed anti-oxidative role of reduced nucleotides in the lenses indicates the possibility of testing reductants (NADPH, NADH and their functional analogues) as potential candidates to therapeutically intervene in the process of cataractogenesis.

Temporal regulation of six crystallin transcripts during mouse lens development

Using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and RNA blot analysis, we have examined the differential expression patterns of the gamma-crystallins during lens development. Since only four of these genes had been previously characterized, the cDNAs for the remaining two genes, gamma C and gamma F, were isolated and sequenced. The steady-state mRNA profiles were then determined by RNA blot analysis of samples from embryonic stages to 180 days after birth, with gene-specific probes for gamma A, gamma B, gamma C, and gamma D, and a common probe for gamma E and gamma F. Due to the paucity of mismatches between the gamma E and gamma F-crystallin genes, the PCR technique was exploited to determine their relative abundance. The data showed that while all six gamma-crystallin genes were expressed in the embryonic lens, they were differentially regulated during development. At early stages, the levels of gamma B and gamma C mRNAs were found to be relatively low in comparison to those for gamma A, gamma D, gamma E and gamma F. After 30-40 days, however, the levels of gamma A, gamma E, and gamma F mRNAs declined rapidly, and the gamma B, gamma C and gamma D transcripts became the major gamma-crystallin mRNA species. The utility of the PCR technique in studying the relative abundance of steady-state gamma-crystallin mRNAs was also investigated.

Organization of the enzymatic domains in the multifunctional polyketide synthase involved in erythromycin formation in Saccharopolyspora erythraea

Localization of the enzymatic domains in the three multifunctional polypeptides from Saccharopolyspora erythraea involved in the formation of the polyketide portion of the macrolide antibiotic erythromycin was determined by computer-assisted analysis. Comparison of the six synthase units (SU) from the eryA genes with each other and with mono- and multifunctional fatty acid and polyketide synthases established the extent of each beta-ketoacyl acyl-carrier protein (ACP) synthase, acyltransferase, beta-ketoreductase, ACP, and thioesterase domain. The extent of the enoyl reductase (ER) domain was established by detecting similarity to other sequences in the database. A segment containing the putative dehydratase (DH) domain in EryAII, with a potential active-site histidine residue, was also found. The finding of conservation of a portion of the DH-ER interdomain region in the other five SU, which lack these two functions, suggests a possible evolutionary path for the generation of the six SU.

Lens protein expression in mammals: taxon-specificity and the recruitment of crystallins

Vertebrate lenses show remarkably taxon-specific patterns of protein composition, most obviously in the recruitment of enzymes as major crystallins. Phylogenetic relationships are particularly apparent in mammals. Here we describe eta-crystallin, which is probably identical to cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase, lens-specifically expressed at high abundance in the elephant shrews, primitive eutherians of the family Macroscelidae, and mu-crystallin, a novel lens protein expressed in some marsupials. We have also observed that enzymes that have been recruited as crystallins in some species are also moderately abundant in the lenses of other species. This hints that the origins of enzyme-crystallins may lie in a pool of enzymes widely expressed in lenses at fairly high levels, perhaps because they have important developmental or functional roles in the tissue.

zeta-Crystallin is a major protein in the lens of Camelus dromedarius

Camel (Camelus dromedarius) lenses contain a protein with an apparent subunit Mr 38,000 that constitutes approximately 8-13% of the total protein. The protein has been purified and has a native Mr 140,000 as determined by gel filtration. This is consistent with its being a tetramer. The protein reacts with antibodies raised against both guinea pig zeta-crystallin and peptides corresponding to amino acids 1-10 and 295-308, but not to antibodies raised against amino acids 320-328 of zeta-crystallin. Based on these criteria it is concluded that this protein, which is a major constituent of camel lens, is zeta-crystallin. This may be the first example of a protein (enzyme) being independently utilized as a crystallin in the lens of species from two mammalian orders.

Zeta-crystallin from guinea pig lens is capable of functioning catalytically as an oxidoreductase

zeta-Crystallin, a major taxon-specific protein of the guinea pig lens, has been shown to be distantly related to the alcohol/polyol dehydrogenase family and to specifically bind NADPH. The capacity of zeta-crystallin to function catalytically was investigated in the present study. zeta-Crystallin exhibited an NADPH-dependent oxidoreductase activity with 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DCIP). The NADPH:DCIP oxidoreductase activity of zeta-crystallin exhibits a linear response with increasing protein concentration, and saturation kinetics with NADPH and DCIP. This activity was abolished by heat inactivation and immunoadsorption of the protein. Dicumarol, Cibacron blue, manganese, and sulfhydryl reagents were inhibitory.

The transcripts of zeta-crystallin, a lens protein related to the alcohol dehydrogenase family, are altered in a guinea-pig hereditary cataract

Zeta-Crystallin, a major component of the guinea-pig lens proteins, is distantly related to the enzymes of the zinc-containing alcohol dehydrogenase family (ADH). Analysis of the structural similarities between zeta-crystallin and ADH reveals that while characteristics important in maintaining the tertiary structure of the molecule appear conserved, the amino acids binding the catalytic zinc atom are absent in zeta-crystallin. Significantly, zeta-crystallin does not have ADH activity. Previous studies showed that the zeta-crystallin protein is modified in the lens of guinea-pigs affected with an autosomal dominant hereditary cataract. We have further investigated the molecular origin of the lens defect by examining the steady-state levels of zeta-crystallin transcripts in normal and mutant eyes. Our data indicate that no normal zeta-crystallin mRNA is present in the lens of the homozygous animals; instead, a cross-hybridizing lower molecular weight mRNA is detected at significantly reduced concentrations. Heterozygous lenses exhibit both mRNA species.

Animal models for the study of maturity-onset and hereditary cataract

The increasing use of animal models in the study of cataract has been one of the most important trends in lens research over the last two decades. The number of animal models available for both hereditary congenital cataracts and for maturity-onset cataracts has grown substantially during this time. Analysis of some of these systems by biochemical and molecular biology techniques has resulted in significant and often surprising insights into the basic biology of the lens, as well as the process of cataractogenesis. The following is a brief overview of those animal models for which biochemical studies have been reported.

Extremely high levels of NADPH in guinea pig lens: correlation with zeta-crystallin concentration

Zeta-crystallin, a major "taxon-specific" protein of the guinea pig lens, specifically binds NADPH. Analysis of pyridine nucleotide levels in guinea pig lens revealed values for NADPH approximately 50-fold higher than in other lenses. Indeed to our knowledge the values reported are higher than have been observed in any tissue. A clear correlation exists between NADPH and zeta-crystallin contents of the lens both in normal guinea pigs during development and in a line of guinea pigs with a mutation in the gene for zeta-crystallin. Heterozygotes for this mutation had a 50% reduction in NADPH, while homozygotes have only about 6% of the normal level. NADP+ levels were also markedly elevated suggesting that redox cycling of the NADPH is occurring.

Association of hereditary cataracts in strain 13/N guinea-pigs with mutation of the gene for zeta-crystallin

Congenital nuclear cataracts transmitted by an autosomal dominant gene are present in a line of strain 13/N guinea-pigs. Studies on the lens proteins from these animals demonstrate changes in both the composition and structure of the crystallins relative to normal controls. The most prominent difference is in the zeta-crystallin, a taxon-specific crystallin which has been shown to be related to the alcohol dehydrogenases. In animals homozygous for the cataract phenotype the normal zeta-crystallin polypeptide is absent from the lens. Quantitation is difficult in the cataractous lenses from heterozygotes because of protein changes secondary to opacification: however in liver and kidney which have catalytic levels of the protein, the concentrations are approximately half that present in tissue from normal control animals. These findings suggest that in the cataractous animals a mutation has occurred in the gene for zeta-crystallin. In addition, a novel protein which is very similar to zeta-crystallin is synthesized only in the lenses of animals with cataract. This protein appears to be the product of the mutant gene for zeta-crystallin. These data support the hypothesis that this hereditary congenital cataract results from a specific mutation in the zeta-crystallin gene.

Evolution of eye lens crystallins: the stress connection

Crystallins, the structural proteins of the eye lens, ensure the transparency and integrity of the lens throughout life. Recent sequence comparisons have shown that evolution has recruited crystallins among already existing heat-shock proteins and stress-inducible enzymes.