Alpha crystallins are composed of two gene products, alpha-A and alpha-B, for acidic and basic, respectively. Alpha crystallins can be induced by heat shock and are members of the small heat shock protein(sHSP also known as the HSP20). They act as molecular chaperones and hold them in large soluble aggregates. These heterogeneous aggregates consist of 30-40 subunits, the alpha-A and alpha-B subunits have a 3:1 ratio, respectively. Two additional function of a-crystallins are an autokinase activity and participation in the intracellular architecture. The expression of alpha-A is preferentially restricted to the lens cell. Source: Recombinant protein corresponding to human CRYAA expressed in E coli. Molecular Weight: ~19.9kD Storage and Stability: May be stored at 4C for short-term only. Aliquot to avoid repeated freezing and thawing. Store at -20C. Aliquots are stable for 6 months after receipt at -20C. For maximum recovery of product, centrifuge the original vial after thawing and prior to removing the cap. Further dilutions can be made in assay buffer.
