Lens Organelle Degradation

Bassnett, Steven

doi:10.1006/exer.2001.1111

Cited by 245 publications

(184 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…The interior of the lens contains elongated lens fibers, which are arranged in a stratified manner with the oldest fibers in the lens interior. Upon maturation, lens fibers lose their attachment to the capsule, and cellular organelles are degraded in a synchronized manner (Bassnett, 2002). Nourishment to the lens involves diffusion from the aqueous and vitreous humors.…”

Section: Lensmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functions of aquaporins in the eye

Verkman

Ruiz-Ederra

Levin

2008

Progress in Retinal and Eye Research

172

117

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The aquaporins (AQPs) are integral membrane proteins whose main function is to transport water across cell membranes in response to osmotic gradients. At the ocular surface, AQP1 is expressed in corneal endothelium, AQP3 and AQP5 in corneal epithelium, and AQP3 in conjunctival epithelium. AQPs are also expressed in lens fiber cells (AQP0), lens epithelium (AQP1), ciliary epithelium (AQP1, AQP4) and retinal Müller cells (AQP4). Mutations in AQP0 produce congenital cataracts in humans. Analysis of knockout mice lacking individual AQPs suggests their involvement in maintenance of corneal and lens transparency, corneal epithelial repair, intraocular pressure regulation, retinal signal transduction and retinal swelling following injury. The mouse phenotype findings implicate AQPs as potential drug targets for therapy of elevated intraocular pressure and ocular disorders involving the cornea, lens and retina. However, much research remains in defining cell-level mechanisms for the ocular AQP functions, in establishing the relevance to human eye disease of conclusions from knockout mice, and in developing AQPmodulating drugs.

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Section: Lensmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functions of aquaporins in the eye

Verkman

Ruiz-Ederra

Levin

2008

Progress in Retinal and Eye Research

172

117

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“…The dramatic changes in cell shape and length that characterize lens fiber cell differentiation rely on the cytoskeleton (Bassnett, 2002;Sue Menko, 2002). The stabilization of the microtubule, actin and intermediate filament cytoskeletons may require α-crystallin (Quinlan, 2002).…”

Section: Enhancing Survival During Differentiationmentioning

confidence: 99%

The lens epithelium: Focus on the expression and function of the α-crystallin chaperones

Andley

2008

The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology

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Lens epithelial cells are the parental cells responsible for growth and development of the transparent ocular lens. Many elegant investigations into their biology have focused on the factors that initiate and regulate lens epithelial cell differentiation. Because they serve key transport and cell maintenance functions throughout life, and are the primary source of metabolic activity in the lens, mechanisms to maintain lens epithelial cell integrity and survival are critical for lens transparency. The molecular chaperones α-crystallins are abundant proteins synthesized in the differentiated lens fiber cell cytoplasm. However, their expression in lens epithelial cells has only been appreciated very recently. Besides their important roles in the refractive and light focusing properties of the lens, α-crystallins have been implicated in a number of non-refractive pathways including those involving stress response, apoptosis and cell survival. The most convincing evidence for their importance in the lens epithelium has been shown by studies on the properties of lens epithelial cells from αA and αB-crystallin gene knockout mice. The effective combination of genetics, cell and molecular biology possible with lens epithelial cells is attracting an increasing number of researchers focused on understanding how lens epithelial cells coordinate survival, proliferation and differentiation. Cell facts• Lens epithelial cells are responsible for the growth and development of the entire ocular lens • Lens development is controlled by cell cycle regulators, signaling molecules and growth factors such as FGF • Lens epithelial cells express members of the small heat shock protein family of molecular chaperones, αA and βB-crystallins, the first crystallins to be expressed during lens development • α-Crystallins likely protect lens epithelial cells from environmental stress throughout life, and thus may delay the onset of age-related cataract • Lens epithelial cell proliferation is deregulated in posterior capsule opacification leading to secondary cataract, a complication in up to 50% of cataract surgeries Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers

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“…As the new fibre cells develop, they express large amounts of crystallin proteins which are responsible for the refractive index and transparency of the lens (Aarts et al 1989;Zhao et al 2011). Newly differentiated fibre cells migrate towards the lens equator where they undergo denucleation and lose their internal sub-cellular structures (Bassnett 2002;Mochizuki and Masai 2014). The fibre cells ultimately form multiple layers stacked around the central nucleus of the lens.…”

Section: Lens Structure and Ageingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Light scattering is proportional to the size of objects encountered and their difference compared to their surroundings (Ponce et al 2006;Trokel 1962), and as such the lens has maximised its transparency by eliminating almost all cellular structures (Bassnett 2002). When a fibre cell differentiates from the epithelial layer, it express crystallin proteins in high concentration and then undergoes degradation of all organelles and large cell structures.…”

Section: Lens Structure and Ageingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biophysical chemistry of the ageing eye lens

Ray

2015

Biophys Rev

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This review examines both recent and historical literature related to the biophysical chemistry of the proteins in the ageing eye, with a particular focus on cataract development. The lens is a vital component of the eye, acting as an optical focusing device to form clear images on the retina. The lens maintains the necessary high transparency and refractive index by expressing crystallin proteins in high concentration and eliminating all large cellular structures that may cause light scattering. This has the consequence of eliminating lens fibre cell metabolism and results in mature lens fibre cells having no mechanism for protein expression and a complete absence of protein recycling or turnover. As a result, the crystallins are some of the oldest proteins in the human body. Lack of protein repair or recycling means the lens tends to accumulate damage with age in the form of protein posttranslational modifications. The crystallins can be subject to a wide range of age-related changes, including isomerisation, deamidation and racemisation. Many of these modification are highly correlated with cataract formation and represent a biochemical mechanism for age-related blindness.

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Lens Organelle Degradation

Cited by 245 publications

References 36 publications

Functions of aquaporins in the eye

Functions of aquaporins in the eye

The lens epithelium: Focus on the expression and function of the α-crystallin chaperones

Biophysical chemistry of the ageing eye lens

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