Model of a 24mer alphaB-crystallin multimerModel of a 24mer alphaB-crystallin multimer

Structural highlights

3j07 is a 24 chain structure with sequence from Human. Full experimental information is available from OCA. For a guided tour on the structure components use FirstGlance.
Gene:CRYAB, CRYA2 (HUMAN)
Resources:FirstGlance, OCA, PDBe, RCSB, PDBsum, ProSAT

Disease

[CRYAB_HUMAN] Posterior polar cataract;Alpha-crystallinopathy;Zonular cataract;Familial isolated dilated cardiomyopathy;Fatal infantile hypertonic myofibrillar myopathy. The disease is caused by mutations affecting the gene represented in this entry. The disease is caused by mutations affecting the gene represented in this entry. The disease is caused by mutations affecting the gene represented in this entry. The disease is caused by mutations affecting the gene represented in this entry.

Function

[CRYAB_HUMAN] May contribute to the transparency and refractive index of the lens. Has chaperone-like activity, preventing aggregation of various proteins under a wide range of stress conditions.

Publication Abstract from PubMed

Alpha-crystallins are molecular chaperones that protect vertebrate eye lens proteins from detrimental protein aggregation. alphaB-Crystallin, 1 of the 2 alpha-crystallin isoforms, is also associated with myopathies and neuropathological diseases. Despite the importance of alpha-crystallins in protein homeostasis, only little is known about their quaternary structures because of their seemingly polydisperse nature. Here, we analyzed the structures of recombinant alpha-crystallins using biophysical methods. In contrast to previous reports, we show that alphaB-crystallin assembles into defined oligomers consisting of 24 subunits. The 3-dimensional (3D) reconstruction of alphaB-crystallin by electron microscopy reveals a sphere-like structure with large openings to the interior of the protein. alphaA-Crystallin forms, in addition to complexes of 24 subunits, also smaller oligomers and large clusters consisting of individual oligomers. This propensity might explain the previously reported polydisperse nature of alpha-crystallin.

The eye lens chaperone alpha-crystallin forms defined globular assemblies.,Peschek J, Braun N, Franzmann TM, Georgalis Y, Haslbeck M, Weinkauf S, Buchner J Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Aug 11;106(32):13272-7. doi:, 10.1073/pnas.0902651106. Epub 2009 Jul 27. PMID:19651604[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

References

  1. Peschek J, Braun N, Franzmann TM, Georgalis Y, Haslbeck M, Weinkauf S, Buchner J. The eye lens chaperone alpha-crystallin forms defined globular assemblies. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2009 Aug 11;106(32):13272-7. doi:, 10.1073/pnas.0902651106. Epub 2009 Jul 27. PMID:19651604 doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0902651106
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