The structure of the lens proteins.

Although lens structural proteins are extremely diverse, there appear to be common structural motifs or folding units from which the beta-gamma-crystallins can be constructed. X-ray diffraction techniques have solved the atomic three-dimensional structure of monomeric bovine gamma-II. The related protein, beta Bp, the principal subunit of bovine beta-crystallin has been predicted, using computer graphics techniques, to have a similar tertiary structure. These molecular models show the spatial orientation of some of the reactive side-chains which have been implicated in oxidative disruption of lens structure.