Truncation of betaA3/A1-crystallin during aging of the bovine lens; possible implications for lens optical quality

During aging, extensive modifications of eye lens proteins take place, which may contribute to the development of cataract. Truncation of the accessible extensions of beta-crystallins has been suggested to be an important factor in this process. We therefore studied the truncations of bovine betaA3- and betaA1-crystallin in more detail. These proteins are identical except for the length of their N-terminal extension, 30 and 13 residues, respectively. The water-soluble and -insoluble proteins from cortex and nucleus of bovine lenses of different ages were separated by 2D-gel electrophoresis and immuno-blotted with an antiserum against betaA3. Two major truncation products were detected, which by sequence analysis were found to correspond to betaA3 having lost 11 or 22 amino acids. betaA3(-11) was only observed in the nucleus, whereas betaA3(-22) was present both in cortex and nucleus. We argue, therefore, that each of these two products is produced by a separate proteolytic enzyme. betaA3(-22) can originate by cleavage of betaA3, betaA1 and betaA3(-11). Truncation of betaA3 occurs more readily than that of betaA1, while betaA3(-11) disappears at an intermediate rate. It appears that the longer the N-terminal extension, the easier proteolysis takes place. Truncated proteins are not necessarily prone to end up in the water-insoluble fractions; other modifications leading to charge changes are more likely to be responsible for insolubilization. Truncation of the extensions of beta-crystallins could be a functional rather than a harmful process during aging of the lens; by modulating protein repulsion, it may help to maintain the protein concentration gradient that is necessary for the optical quality of the lens.