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

Abstract

One αB- and three different β-crystallin cDNA clones were isolated from a chicken lens cDNA library by using anti-crystallin antibodies. The sequence of αB-crystallin cDNA showed more than 70% homology with exons of αB-crystallin genes of the human and hamster. Two β-crystallin cDNA showed almost identical sequences with previously reported chicken βB1- and β A3 A1 -crystallin genes. The remainder showed 80% homology of sequence with bovine βB2-crystalline cDNA. Using these newly cloned cDNAs, in addition to cDNAs of αA- and δ-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 β-crystallins were expressed through the period of cell culture, but three β-crystallins were expressed only after the confluent stage. These results suggest that: (1) αA-, αB- and δ-crystallin cDNAs can be used to detect differentiation of the lens epithelial cell; and (2) β-crystallin cDNAs are superior in the detection of chicken lens fibre differentiation in vitro to δ-crystallin cDNA, which is ectopically expressed by various non-lenticular tissues.