p-αB-crystallin (mSer 59)-R Antibody: sc-22510-R

αB-crystallin Background Information
Crystallins are the major proteins of the vertebrate eye lens, where they maintain the transparency and refractive index of the lens. Crystallins are divided into å, ∫, and © families, and the ∫ and ©-crystallins also compose a superfamily. Crystallins usually contain seven distinctive protein regions, including four homologous motifs, a connecting peptide, and N- and C-terminal extensions. å-crystallins consist of three gene products, åA, åB, and åC-crystallin, which are members of the small heat shock protein family (HSP20). They are induced by heat shock, and act as molecular chaperones by holding denatured proteins in large soluble aggregates. However, unlike other molecular chaperones, å-crystallins do not renature these proteins. åA-crystallin is preferentially restricted to the lens. Defects in the gene encoding åA-crystallin cause autosomal dominant congenital cataract (ADCC). The human åB-crystallin gene encodes a protein that is present in many tissues, including lens, heart, and skeletal muscle. Elevated expression of åB-crystallin is associated with many neurological diseases, and a missense mutation in this gene has cosegregated in a family with a desmin-related myopathy. The p38 MAPK substrate, MAPKAPK-2 phosphorylates åB-crystalling on Ser 59.