Crystallin gene expression in the process of lentoidogenesis in cultures of chicken lens epithelial cells

Abstract

One alpha B- and three different beta-crystallin cDNA clones were isolated from a chicken lens cDNA library by using anti-crystallin antibodies. The sequence of alpha B-crystallin cDNA showed more than 70% homology with exons of alpha B-crystallin genes of the human and hamster. Two beta-crystallin cDNAs showed almost identical sequences with previously reported chicken beta B1- and beta A3/A1-crystallin genes. The remainder showed 80% homology of sequence with bovine beta B2-crystalline cDNA. Using these newly cloned cDNAs, in addition to cDNAs of alpha A- and delta-crystallin, we examined the expression pattern of these crystallins in the process of lentoidogenesis of cultured lens epithelial cells of the chicken. All crystallins except beta-crystallins were expressed through the period of cell culture, but three beta-crystallins were expressed only after the confluent stage. These results suggest that: (1) alpha A-, alpha B- and delta-crystallin cDNAs can be used to detect differentiation of the lens epithelial cell; and (2) beta-crystallin cDNAs are superior in the detection of chicken lens fibre differentiation in vitro to delta-crystallin cDNA, which is ectopically expressed by various non-lenticular tissues.