Ontological changes in the crystallin composition of the eye lenses of the territorial damselfish Parma microlepis and their possible effects on trace-metal accumulation |
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Authors: | S G Dove |
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Institution: | (1) School of Biological Sciences A08, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2006, Australia Fax: 0061 (0)29351 4119 e-mail: sophie@bio.usyd.edu.au, AU |
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Abstract: | The eye lenses of Parma microlepis from the rocky barrens of Sydney (New South Wales, Australia) were found to contain Ba, Hg, Rb, and Sr at concentrations
above the quantitative detection limits of solution-based inductively-coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP–MS). Lenses were
separated into the hard central nucleus and the softer surrounding cortex. Nuclei contained lower (equal for Ba) concentrations
of these metals. Biochemical analysis of the protein composition of these lenses revealed differences in the ratio of γ-crystallin
to β-crystallin in the lens nucleus and cortex. These changes were shown to be attributable both to protein degradation and
changes in protein synthesis as fish age. Such changes may lead to the loss of sequestered metals from older cell layers,
or change the affinity of new layers for particular trace metals. Differential binding affinities of these crystallins may,
therefore, partially account for trace-metal differences observed in the lens nucleus and cortex.
Received: 13 November 1998 / Accepted: 23 April 1999 |
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