Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Modeling The Early, Aging-Related Changes In Human Recombinant Gammas-Crystallin In Vitro, Christiana Oluwaseun Salami

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Cataract is the leading cause of blindness in the world. Cataractous lenses scatter a significant part of the light entering the eye. Cataract can be of several types: Age-related cataract, secondary cataract, traumatic cataract, congenital cataract, and radiation cataract. Age-related cataract is the most common type of cataract. Several factors contribute to age-onset cataract; among them are the Post-Translational Modifications (PTMs) to the major lens proteins or crystallins, which constitute about 80-90% of the protein content of the lens. Predominant PTMs of the crystallins are oxidation, deamidation, phosphorylation, glycation, and disulfide crosslinking, which tend to increase as the lens ages.