In anatomy, a crystallin is a water-soluble structural protein found in the lens and the cornea of the eye accounting for the transparency of the structure.[1] It has also been identified in other places such as the heart, and in aggressive breast cancer tumors.[2][3]
The physical origins of eye lens transparency and its relationship to cataract are an active area of research. [4] Since it has been shown that lens injury may promote nerve regeneration,[5]
crystallin has been an area of neural research. So far, it has been demonstrated that crystallin β b2 (crybb2) may be a neurite-promoting factor.[6]
^Lutsch G, Vetter R, Offhauss U, Wieske M, Gröne HJ, Klemenz R, Schimke I, Stahl J, Benndorf R (1997). "Abundance and location of the small heat shock proteins HSP25 and alphaB-crystallin in rat and human heart". Circulation. 96 (10): 3466–3476. doi:10.1161/01.cir.96.10.3466. PMID9396443.
^Fischer D, Pavlidis M, Thanos S (2000). "Cataractogenic lens injury prevents traumatic ganglion cell death and promotes axonal regeneration both in vivo and in culture". Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 41 (12): 3943–3954. PMID11053298.