Characterization of abnormal proteins in the soluble lens proteins of CatFraser mice

Lens crystallin modifications and cataract in transgenic mice overexpressing acylpeptide hydrolase

The accumulation of crystallin fragments in vivo and their subsequent interaction with crystallins are responsible, in part, for protein aggregation in cataracts. Transgenic mice overexpressing acylpeptide hydrolase (APH) specifically in the lens were prepared to test the role of protease in the generation and accumulation of peptides. Cataract development was seen at various postnatal days in the majority of mice expressing active APH (wt-APH). Cataract onset and severity of the cataracts correlated with the APH protein levels. Lens opacity occurred when APH protein levels were >2.6% of the total lens protein and the specific activity, assayed using Ac-Ala-p-nitroanilide substrate, was >1 unit. Transgenic mice carrying inactive APH (mt-APH) did not develop cataract. Cataract development also correlated with N-terminal cleavage of the APH to generate a 57-kDa protein, along with an increased accumulation of low molecular weight (LMW) peptides, similar to those found in aging human and cataract lenses. Nontransgenic mouse lens proteins incubated with purified wt-APH in vitro resulted in a >20% increase in LMW peptides. Crystallin modifications and cleavage were quite dramatic in transgenic mouse lenses with mature cataract. Affected lenses showed capsule rupture at the posterior pole, with expulsion of the lens nucleus and degenerating fiber cells. Our study suggests that the cleaved APH fragment might exert catalytic activity against crystallins, resulting in the accumulation of distinct LMW peptides that promote protein aggregation in lenses expressing wt-APH. The APH transgenic model we developed will enable in vivo testing of the roles of crystallin fragments in protein aggregation.

Identification of proteins that modify cataract of mouse eye lens

The occurrence of a nuclear cataract in the eye lens due to disruption of the alpha3Cx46 connexin gene, Gja3, is dependent on strain background in a mouse model, implicating factors that modify the pathology. The differences upon cataractogenesis in the urea soluble proteins of the lens of two mouse strains, C57BL/6J and 129/SvJ, were analyzed by a comparative proteomics approach. Determination of the complete proteome of an organ offers the opportunity to characterize at a molecular level, differences in gene expression and PTMs occurring during pathology and between individuals. The abundance of 63 protein species was altered between the strains. A unique aspect of this study is the identification of chaperonin subunit 6A, mortalin, ERp29, and syntaxin-binding protein 6 in the eye lens. DNA polymorphisms resulting in nonconservative amino acid changes that led to altered physicochemical properties of the proteins were detected for mortalin, chaperonin subunit 6A, annexin A1, and possibly gamma-N crystallin. The results show HSP27/25 and/or ERp29 are the likely major modifying factors for cataractogenesis. Extension of the results suggests that small heat-shock proteins have a major role for influencing cataract formation in humans.

Significance of interactions of low molecular weight crystallin fragments in lens aging and cataract formation

Analysis of aged and cataract lenses shows the presence of increased amounts of crystallin fragments in the high molecular weight aggregates of water-soluble and water-insoluble fractions. However, the significance of accumulation and interaction of low molecular weight crystallin fragments in aging and cataract development is not clearly understood. In this study, 23 low molecular mass (<3.5-kDa) peptides in the urea-soluble fractions of young, aged, and aged cataract human lenses were identified by mass spectroscopy. Two peptides, alphaB-(1-18) (MDIAIHHPWIRRPFFPFH) and betaA3/A1-(59-74) (SD(N)AYHIERLMSFRPIC), present in aged and cataract lens but not young lens, and a third peptide, gammaS-(167-178) (SPAVQSFRRIVE) present in all three lens groups were synthesized to study the effects of interaction of these peptides with intact alpha-, beta-, and gamma-crystallins and alcohol dehydrogenase, a protein used in aggregation studies. Interaction of alphaB-(1-18) and betaA3/A1-(59-74) peptides increased the scattering of light by beta- and gamma-crystallin and alcohol dehydrogenase. The ability of alpha-crystallin subunits to function as molecular chaperones was significantly reduced by interaction with alphaB-(1-18) and betaA3/A1-(59-74) peptides, whereas gammaS peptide had no effect on chaperone-like activity of alpha-crystallin. The betaA3/A1-(59-74 peptide caused a 5.64-fold increase in alphaB-crystallin oligomeric mass and partial precipitation. Replacing hydrophobic residues in alphaB-(1-18) and betaA3/A1-(59-74) peptides abolished their ability to induce crystallin aggregation and light scattering. Our study suggests that interaction of crystallin-derived peptides with intact crystallins could be a key event in age-related protein aggregation in lens and cataractogenesis.

Eye lens proteomics

The eye lens is a fascinating organ as it is in essence living transparent matter. Lenticular transparency is achieved through the peculiarities of lens morphology, a semi-apoptotic process where cells elongate and loose their organelles and the precise molecular arrangement of the bulk of soluble lenticular proteins, the crystallins. The 16 crystallins ubiquitous in mammals and their modifications have been extensively characterized by 2-DE, liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry and other protein analysis techniques. The various solubility dependant fractions as well as subproteomes of lenticular morphological sections have also been explored in detail. Extensive post translational modification of the crystallins is encountered throughout the lens as a result of ageing and disease resulting in a vast number of protein species. Proteomics methodology is therefore ideal to further comprehensive understanding of this organ and the factors involved in cataractogenesis.

Mass measurements of C-terminally truncated alpha-crystallins from two-dimensional gels identify Lp82 as a major endopeptidase in rat lens

Molecular chaperone activity of lens alpha-crystallins is reduced by loss of the C terminus. The purpose of this experiment was to 1) determine the cleavage sites produced in vitro by ubiquitous m-calpain and lens-specific Lp82 on alpha-crystallins, 2) identify alpha-crystallin cleavage sites produced in vivo during maturation and cataract formation in rat lens, and 3) estimate the relative activities of Lp82 and m-calpain by appearance of protease-specific cleavage products in vivo. Total soluble protein from young rat lens was incubated with recombinant m-calpain or Lp82 and 2 mM Ca2+. Resulting fragmented alpha-crystallins were separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Eluted alpha-crystallin spots were analyzed by mass spectrometry. Cleavage sites on insoluble alpha-crystallins were determined similarly in mature rat lens nucleus and in cataractous rat lens nucleus induced by selenite. In vitro proteolysis of alphaA-crystallin by Lp82 and m-calpain produced unique cleavage sites by removing 5 and 11 residues, respectively, from the C terminus. In vivo, the protease-specific truncations removing 5 and 11 residues from alphaA were both found in maturing lens, whereas only the truncation removing 5 residues was found in cataractous lens. Other truncation sites, common to both calpain isoforms, resulted from the removal of 8, 10, 16, 17, and 22 residues from the C terminus of alphaA. Using uniquely truncated alphaA-crystallins as in vivo markers, Lp82 and m-calpain were both found to be active during normal maturation of rat lens, whereas Lp82 seemed especially active during selenite cataract formation. These C-terminal truncations decrease chaperone activity of alpha-crystallins, possibly leading to the observed increases in insoluble proteins during aging and cataract. The methodology that allowed accurate mass measurements of proteins eluted from 2D gels should be useful to examine rapidly other post-translational modifications.

The L-isoaspartyl/D-aspartyl protein methyltransferase gene (PCMT1) maps to human chromosome 6q22.3-6q24 and the syntenic region of mouse chromosome 10

We have mapped the genes for the human and mouse L-isoaspartyl/D-aspartyl protein carboxyl methyltransferase (EC 2.1.1.77) using cDNA probes. We determined that the human gene is present in chromosome 6 by Southern blot analysis of DNA from a panel of mouse-human somatic cell hybrids. In situ hybridization studies allowed us to confirm this identification and further localize the human gene (PCMT1) to the 6q22.3-6q24 region. By analyzing the presence of an EcoRI polymorphism in DNA from backcrosses of C57BL/6J and Mus spretus strains of mice, we localized the mouse gene (Pcmt-1) to chromosome 10, at a position 8.2 +/- 3.5 cM proximal to the Myb locus. This region of the mouse chromosome is homologous to the human 6q24 region.

The effects of aging and cataract formation on the trypsin inhibitor activity of human lens

Assays were carried out to determine the trypsin inhibitor activity present in the water-soluble and water-insoluble fractions of human lenses of various ages. Little change was seen in the inhibitor activity of the water-soluble protein fraction. When this fraction was chromatographed on an Agarose A-1.5 m column, however, the inhibitor activity was increasingly associated with the high molecular weight (HMW) protein fraction with age. A gradual increase in water-insoluble inhibitor was seen up to age 60, which correlated with the increase in protein in this fraction. After age 60, a marked increase in the water-soluble inhibitor activity was observed. In 80-90-yr old lenses, 1 mg of water-insoluble protein was able to inhibit 200 micrograms of crystallin trypsin by 50%. Similar assays on a collection of cortical and brunescent cataracts also showed very high levels of water-insoluble inhibitor activity. In most cases, these values were higher than those for the age-matched control lenses. Fractionation of the water-insoluble proteins showed that the bulk of the activity remained with the urea-insoluble fraction in cataractous lenses. A low molecular weight trypsin inhibitor was isolated from the water-soluble and water-insoluble fractions of human lenses. An age-dependent increase in this inhibitor was observed by activity measurements and electrophoretic analysis.

Biochemical and histochemical evidence for lysosomal proteases in rodent lenses

The lysosomal proteases cathepsin B and dipeptidyl peptidase II (DPP II) were identified biochemically in the supernatant fraction of rat and guinea-pig lens homogenates, using as substrates CBZ-Arg-Arg-4-methylcoumarin-7-amide (AMC) (5 microM, pH 6.0, 37 degrees C for cathepsin B, and Lys-Ala-AMC or Lys-Pro-AMC (5 microM, pH 5.5, 37 degrees C) for DPP II. Cathepsin B-like activity was totally inhibited by the specific inhibitor lepeptin (0.1 mM); while DPP-II-like activity was partially inhibited by Tris (10 mM) or puromycin (0.1 mM), which are specific for DPP II, and by phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride (PMS-F), an inhibitor of serine class proteases. DPP-II-like activity also was demonstrated histochemically. The histochemical preparations consisted of cryostat sections (6 micron) of glutaraldehyde-fixed rat lenses, incubated in medium containing cacodylic acid-NaOH (0.05 M), Lys-Pro-4-methoxy-2-naphthylamide (MNA) or Lys-Ala-MNA (1 mM), and 0.1% w:v Fast Blue B salt (pH 5.5, 37 degrees C). Control sections were treated with medium in which the substrates were replaced by Lys-Ser-MNA (1 mM), which is not acted upon by DPP II; or medium containing PMS-F (1 mM). Sections treated with experimental medium containing Lys-Pro-MNA showed intense enzymatic activity throughout the epithelium and bow region. In the bow region and superficial cortex activity was mostly granular, suggesting a lysosomal localization. Histochemical activity was reduced partially by inclusion of PMS-F, and totally by substituting Lys-Ser-MNA for Lys-Pro-MNA.

Selenite cataract: a review

Selenite cataract is a fairly recently described, experimental animal model for cataract (1). Selenite cataract has been extensively characterized histologically (2) and biochemically (3,4). The model has been particularly useful for studies on the roles of calcium accumulation and lens proteolysis in cataract formation (4). This review describes current knowledge of the biochemical mechanism for selenite cataract and indicates how the model may be used for further understanding of cataractogenesis in general.

Purification of calpain II from rat lens and determination of endogenous substrates

Calpain II (EC 3.4.22.17), a calcium-dependent neutral protease, was purified approximately 7000-fold from the soluble of rat lens. The estimated molecular weight of rat lens calpain II was 120,000, and the enzyme was composed of 80,000 and 28,000 MW subunits. Calpain II required 400 microM calcium, a reducing agent, and pH = 7.5 for maximal activity. The enzyme could not be activated by magnesium, and was inhibited by leupeptin and iodoacetate, but not by phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride. Purified calpain II degraded rat alpha, beta H-, and beta L-crystallins, insoluble proteins, and intrinsic membrane proteins, gamma-Crystallin was not degraded. The proteolysis caused by purified calpain II was similar to proteolysis occurring during the formation of several experimental cataracts in rodents; this suggested that the enzyme may play a role in cataract formation.