Amino-acid transport and protein synthesis in the rabbit lens: absence of cryoprobe effect

Abstract

Recently developed organ-culture techniques have been used to investigate the effects of cryoprobe treatment on rabbit lenses. Uptake of ¹⁴C-tyrosine into cryoprobe treated and control lenses was followed for 96 h. Lens proteins were separated by gel filtration and incorporation of label measured in the individual crystallins.

The cryoprobe treatment had no measurable effect on lens water, N_a⁺, K⁺ or C_a⁺⁺ content, tyrosine transport or the incorporation of tyrosine into the crystallins, during the period of the experiment.