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A spin label study of human lens membranes

1982; Elsevier BV; Volume: 35; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0014-4835(82)80049-3

1096-0007

Jerome S. Puskin, Martin Wiese,

Protein Interaction Studies and Fluorescence Analysis

A lipid spin label, 5-nitroxy-stearate, was used to probe the fluidity in human lens membranes and lipid extracts. ESR measurements indicated a higher degree of rigidity (order) in the lens membrane than in any membrane from higher cells which had previously been studied. In part this probably reflects the peculiar lipid composition in the lens, which includes a high proportion of cholesterol and saturated fatty acid chains. There is also evidence, however, that the lipid is appreciably immobilized by proteins in the membrane. In older lenses, no appreciable difference in fluidity was found between normal and cataractous lenses or between cortexes and nuclei. Cortexes from young lenses were, however, more fluid than samples from older lenses.