Alpha Crystallin - Enzyme Activity

Enzyme Activity

Interestingly and perhaps excitingly from an evolutionary perspective, some crystallins are active enzymes, while others lack activity but show homology to other enzymes. The crystallins of different groups of organisms are related to a large number of different proteins, with those from birds and reptiles related to lactate dehydrogenase and argininosuccinate lyase, those of mammals to alcohol dehydrogenase and quinone reductase, and those of cephalopods to glutathione S-transferase and aldehyde dehydrogenase. Whether these crystallins are products of a fortuitous accident of evolution, in that these particular enzymes happened to be transparent and highly-soluble, or whether these diverse enzymatic activities are part of the protective machinery of the lens, is an active research topic. The recruitment of protein that originally evolved with one function to serve a second, unrelated function is an example of an exaptation.