X-ray diffraction in the intact isolated frog ocular lens
Krivandin, A.V.; L'vov, I.M.; Ostrovskiĭ, M.A.; Fedorovich, I.B.; Feĭgin, L.A.
Biofizika 29(5): 873-877
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0006-3029 PMID: 6334537 Document Number: 239154
X-ray diffraction method has been applied for investigating ocular lens native tissue of the frog. X-ray diffraction patterns of intact lenses, their nuclei and cortices are similar and contain a set of concentric diffuse diffraction maxima. The most intensive of these maxima corresponding to the Bragg-spacings of 14.6, 9.1 and 4.6 A are presumably associated with intramolecular structure of lens proteins--crystallins. Intensive small-angle X-ray scattering and diffraction patterns isotropy indicates unavailability of crystallin molecule ordering or orientation in the lens. The shift of 14.6 A maximum up to 12.8 A being the result of nuclei drying shows the necessity of aqueous surrounding for these protein native structure maintenance.