The high level of dehydroascorbic acid (DHA) in the lenticular tissue is an important risk factor for the development of age-related cataracts. In this study, the effects of DHA on structure and function of lens crystallins were studied in the presence of carnosine using gel mobility shift assay, different spectroscopic techniques, and lens culture analysis. The DHA-induced unfolding and aggregation of lens proteins were largely prevented by this endogenous dipeptide. The ability of carnosine to preserve native protein structure upon exposure to DHA suggests the essential role of this dipeptide in prevention of the senile cataract development. Although the DHA-modified α-crystallin was characterized by altered chaperone activity, functionality of this protein was significantly restored in the presence of carnosine. The increased proteolytic instability of DHA-modified lens proteins was also attenuated in the presence of carnosine. Furthermore, the assessment of lens culture suggested that DHA can induce significant lens opacity which can be prevented by carnosine. These observations can be explained by the pleiotropic functions of this endogenous and pharmaceutical compound, notably by its anti-glycation and anti-aggregation properties. In summary, our study suggests that carnosine may have therapeutic potential in preventing senile cataracts linked with the increased lenticular DHA generation, particularly under pathological conditions associated with the oxidative stress.

Total soluble lens proteins (TSPs) and α-crystallin (α-Cry) were individually subjected to the long-term glycation in the presence of d-glucose. The glycated and non-glycated protein counterparts were incubated under different stress conditions and compared according to their structure, stability and aggregation propensity by various spectroscopic techniques and gel mobility shift analyses. Extensive glycation of the lens proteins was accompanied with structural alteration, reduction in their surface hydrophobicity and increment of their surface tension. Our results suggest that glycation causes lens crystallins to partially resist against structural alteration and aggregation/fibrillation under both thermal and thermochemical systems. The conformational stability of lens crystallins was increased upon glycation, showing the reason behind resistance of glycated proteins against stress-induced structural alteration and aggregation. Due to the resistance of glycated lens crystallins against aggregation, the role of this modification in development of senile cataract can be explained with the associated damaging consequences highlighted in this article.

A significant association between increased level of blood homocysteine (hyperhomocysteinimia) and various eye pathological disorders including cataract has been reported. This metabolic byproduct is converted into a highly reactive cyclic thioester compound, homocysteine thiolactone (HCTL), which can potentially react with free amino groups in protein. In the current study, as bovine lens γ-Crystallin (γ-Cry) was incubated with HCTL, various spectroscopic techniques, gel mobility shift assay, and microscopic analysis were applied to characterize structural variation and aggregation of this protein. According to the fluorescence results, HCTL-induced structural alteration was accompanied with the significant enhancement in surface hydrophobicity of γ-Cry. Also, this cyclic thioester was indicated to alter γ-Cry secondary structures and to induce aggregation of this protein. The results of gel mobility shift assay suggest the involvement of disulfide bond cross-linking in formation of the protein aggregates. In conjunction with Thioflavin T and Congo red assays, the microscopic analysis also suggests that HCTL can induce formation of ordered aggregate entities in bovine lens γ-Cry. The relationship between γ-Cry insolubilization/aggregation and growth of cataract disorders has been already reported. Therefore, the induction of structural alteration and aggregation of γ-Cry by HCTL can elucidate the pathomechanism underlying cataract disorders particularly in hyperhomocysteinimia.

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