PROTEIN-SYNTHESIS IN ORGAN CULTURED CHICK LENS

The rate of crystalline polypeptide synthesis in organ cultured lenses from chickens of increasing age after hatching was analyzed. There was an overall decline in synthesis with increasing age, so that in the 6 mo. old lens only .alpha.- and some .beta.-crystallins were synthesized in the epithelium and superficial fiber cells. .delta.-Crystallin was synthesized in all fiber regions of the 15 day posthatching lens, but this was restricted to the superficial fibers of the 4 mo. old lens and absent in the 6 mo. old lens. The 34 Kd [kilodalton] .beta.-crystallin was synthesized only in superficial fiber cells through 4 mo. of age.