WATER-SOLUBLE AND INSOLUBLE CRYSTALLINS OF THE DEVELOPING HUMAN-FETAL LENS, ANALYZED BY AGAROSE POLYACRYLAMIDE THIN-LAYER ISOELECTRIC-FOCUSING

Eight human fetal lenses, selected on basis of normality, of a gestational age of 119 to 231 days were analyzed by thin-layer isoelectric focusing (IEF) in agarose/polyacrylamide gels. This method was adapted for the separation of lens crystallins into HM-, .alpha.-, .beta.- and .gamma.-crystallins. It is especially suitable for analysis under non-denaturing conditions of high-molecular-weight crystallins and of insoluble crystallins (WI) solubilized in formamide. The latter could be separated into HM-, .alpha.- and .gamma.-crystallins. During fetal development, a considerable increase of .gamma.-crystallin proportion was observed due to a new synthesis. This increase was balanced by a decrease of .alpha.-crystallin proportion.