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Changes In Ribosomal Proteins May Contribute To Age-Related Cataracts

Changes in protein synthesis and other functions controlled by ribosomal proteins seem to contribute to the pathogenesis of age-related cataracts.

Researchers from West Virginia University, Morgantown and the University of California Los Angeles Medical School, extracted RNA from the epithelia of lenses expressing age-related cataracts as well as controls. The authors determined gene expression in the cataract and control samples. They used specific primers to quantify levels of mRNA that are important in protein synthesis.

The researchers identified numerous transcripts that differed in the levels of gene expression between cataract lenses and control eyes. For example, compared to control lenses, epithelia from cataracts showed reduced expression of mRNA that encodes for four ribosomal proteins, known as L21, L15, L13a, and L7a. However, the authors found that expression of elongation factor (EF)-1a Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 2002;43:198-204. "Decreased Expression of Ribosomal Proteins in Human Age-Related Cataract"

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