Isolation and characterization of a distantly related member of the beta-gamma crystallin super gene family from Xenopus.

In an attempt to isolate gamma crystallin genes from Xenopus genomic library, we have obtained seventeen clones which strongly hybridized to the gamma 1 cDNA probe from Rana temporaria. Of these four clones are characterized. A restriction map was derived by using single and multiple digests with a variety of enzymes. Hybridization selection of lens mRNAs and in vitro translation produced a protein of 26,000 daltons. These data suggest that the above clones may contain at least part of the gamma or beta crystallin sequences.