AlphaA Crystallin/CRYAA Proteins and Enzymes

The alpha crystallins, CRYAA and CRYAB, are members of the small heat shock protein family, which also includes Hsp20 and Hsp27. These small heat shock proteins range in molecular weight from 17-23 kDa and contain an 80-100 amino acids a-crystallin domain. CRYAA is found predominantly in lens epithelium where it non-covalently oligomerizes with CRYAB to generate a transparent 350-1000 kDa a-crystallin protein complex. CRYAB has more widespread expression and is found in a variety of tissues.