alpha-Crystallin polypeptides in developing chicken lens cells.

We provide evidence that the different cells that form the chicken lens have isoelectric variants of alpha-crystallins at early and late developmental stages. We separated the alpha A and alpha B-crystallin subclasses by sodium dodecylsulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and then further resolved each by isoelectric focusing and assays with specific anti alpha-crystallin antibodies. We found that the annular pad, cortical and nuclear fibers, as well as the epithelial cells, contain alpha A and alpha B native chains and their respective isoelectric variants. These results on adult and embryonic lenses obtained a short time after the onset of alpha-crystallin expression suggest that lens cells, having different phenotypes, are able to produce post-translational modifications of the alpha A and alpha B chains as a part of their developmental program.