Recombinant Rana temporaria Alpha-Crystallin A Chain (CRYAA) is a 149-amino-acid protein (residues 1–149) expressed in yeast with a C-terminal polyhistidine (His) tag for purification . It belongs to the small heat shock protein (sHSP) family and functions as a molecular chaperone, preventing protein aggregation under stress conditions. This protein is critical for lens transparency in vertebrates and plays roles in cellular stress response and structural stability .
Post-Translational Modifications: Produced in yeast, enabling eukaryotic modifications such as glycosylation and phosphorylation .
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Molecular Weight | ~19–20 kDa (predicted) |
| Purity | >90% (SDS-PAGE) |
| Buffer | Tris-based, 50% glycerol |
| Stability | Stable at -20°C; avoid freeze-thaw cycles |
Expression System: Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), chosen for cost-efficiency and ability to perform eukaryotic post-translational modifications .
Cost-Effective: Higher yield compared to mammalian systems .
Native Conformation: Supports proper folding and functional modifications (e.g., glycosylation) .
Chaperone Activity: Prevents aggregation of denatured proteins, analogous to human CRYAA .
Lens Biology Studies: Used to investigate crystallin’s role in lens transparency and cataract formation .
A human proteome microarray study (17,225 proteins) identified 127 CRYAA interactors, including:
| Cluster | Key Proteins | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Cell Cycle Regulation | HCLS1, KLHDC6 | Mitotic progression |
| Stress Response | HSPB4, SGCD | Chaperone activity |
| DNA Repair | RAD51, EYA4 | Genome stability maintenance |
| Feature | R. temporaria CRYAA | Human CRYAA |
|---|---|---|
| Host System | Yeast | E. coli, HEK-293 |
| Amino Acid Range | 1–149 | 1–173 |
| Tag | His | His, GST |
| Applications | ELISA | WB, SDS-PAGE, functional assays |