The reaction of proteins with 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid as a possible model for senile nuclear cataract in man.

Proteins, including lens proteins, were incubated in the presence of 3-hydroxyanthranilic acid (30 HA) under oxidizing conditions. Samples were monitored for alterations in color, fluorescence, sulfhydryl content, lysine availability, methionine content, tryptophan content and protein size. Incubation of proteins with 30 HA produced rapid brown coloration and a correspondingly rapid decrease in sulfhydryl content. Alpha-, beta- and gamma-crystallins were all found to react with 30 HA. An increase in protein fluorescence (excitation 340/emission 425 nm) accompanied the color development. No significant decrease in the content of tryptophan or any other amino acid was detected by amino acid analysis. The levels of available lysine were not affected significantly by treatment with 30 HA. Oxidation of methionine to methionine sulfoxide and the covalent cross-linking of polypeptides was obtained by subsequent treatment of the tanned proteins with H2O2. The modifications observed are very similar to those found in the senile nuclear cataract lens.