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Is Crystallin Produced Only Early In Our Life?

Posted on Sat, 18 Apr 2015

Question: Hi, i want to ask about crystallin in our eyes - is it true this protein is formed early in life and never produced again for our entire lives?

Answered by Dr. Dadapeer K (36 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Crystallin is produced through out our life.

Detailed Answer:
Hello
Welcome to Health care magic

I am Dr Dadapeer k an ophthalmologist and I answer health problems related to eye.
I reviewed your history.

Crystallins are stable proteins present in the lens. The main function of crystallin is maintaining the transparency of the lens.
These are produced through out our life.
But these crystallins can get damaged by exposure to ultraviolet rays, oxidative stress, injury..... and this will result in loss of transparency of lens called as cataract.

Hope I have answered your question and the information is helpful to you.
Do write back to me for further questions.

Thank you
With regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dadapeer K (1 hour later)

What about B- crystallin , what is its degradation rate ?

Answered by Dr. Dadapeer K (50 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Beta crystallins are the proteins present in the lens

Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thank you for the follow up question.

Beta crystallins are the proteins present in the lens. The other important crystallins are alpha and gamma.
These crystallins play an important role in maintaining the transparency of the lens.
Like all the proteins these beta crystallins are broken down into aminoacids and recycled. However in cases like oxidative stress the synthesis of these crystallins is decreased and the degradation is increased hence causing denaturation and resulting in loss of transparency.

The normal degradation rate is about 1 week and this can be redued to about 30 minutes in cases of injury or oxidative stress.

Hope this answers your question and the information provided is helpful to you.

Thank you
With regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dadapeer K (1 hour later)

Dear Dr. Dadapeer K,

Thank you four valued advice and information.

Many times I'm told protein degradation is days and weeks, but then on internet articles it says collagen 117 years, crystallin 70 years and so on.

I can't help thinking 'what if the brief steroid had growth effect in these long-life proteins, it means the steroid effect is still present today.

Can you advise if any protein growth caused by treatment has already been renewed/replaced in weeks after the treatment?

Kind Regards
XXXX

Answered by Dr. Dadapeer K (11 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Steroids will promote protein synthesis.

Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thank you for the follow up question.

Steroids are anabolic drugs and will promote synthesis of proteins.
And hence the steroids will promote rapid renewal of the protein by fast synthesis.

Hope this answers your question.

Thank you
With regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dadapeer K (12 minutes later)

What if it promotes a long life protein that doesn't renew ie collagen 117 years, eye crystallin 70 years ?

Or have I misunderstood?

Answered by Dr. Dadapeer K (8 hours later)

Brief Answer:
You are telling about biological life.

Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thank you for the follow up.

You are speaking of the biological half life. It means that till the age of the 117 years collagen in the joints of the bone can be renewed and in the lens till the age of 70 years.
This age of renewal will be decreased in certain diseases and thus causing diseases.

Hope this answers your question.

Thank you
With regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dadapeer K (3 hours later)

Whats the renewal rate of collagen ? Is the same collagen molecules that was present when i was 15 still present in me now at 32? or has it been fully replaced by now?

Thanks and Regards
XXXX

Answered by Dr. Dadapeer K (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
The renewal rate varies according to the site.

Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thank you for the follow up question.

Collagen is the main protein constituent in our body and it is regularly renewed with new collagen replacing the older one.
So it is not possible to have the same collagen at 32 years also and it differs from what you had at 15 years.

The collagen renewal is always balanced but it decreases with increasing age and abnormal pathological conditions like injuries, diseases...
The collagen renewal rate varies according to the site of collagen, for example collagen in skin is replaced over 3-4 weeks....

Hope this answers your question.
Thank you for writing to HCM.

WITH REGARDS

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dadapeer K (1 hour later)

Thanks again Dr. Dadapeer K for all the valued advice.

i hope my concern, even though sounding strange, makes some sense now.

The concern that the treatment helped to synthesise proteins and minerals, and these protein/or mineral is still around today.

For example, teeth enamel. what if the steroids helped synthesise teeth enamel during my time on the treatment, this would mean permanent effect as teeth doesnt renew its mineral content? Is this accurate statement?

Thanks for everything and all my best,
Regards
XXXX

Answered by Dr. Dadapeer K (3 hours later)

Brief Answer:
The proteins continue to be renewed.

Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thank you for the follow up question.

I understood your statement, steroids helped to synthesise proteins some time back, it means during the treatment steroids exaggerated the rate of synthesis. Now also the proteins are renewed at normal rate.

This means the drugs like steroids help to increase the rate of synthesis when they are used and once you stop these drugs the synthesis continuous to occur at normal rate.

Hope this answers your question.

Thank you
With regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Dadapeer K (45 minutes later)

Yes exactly. What about for mineral synthesis? Such as tooth enamel ? What if it helped synthesise tooth enamel and enamel is still present today (doesn't renew)

Kind Regards

Answered by Dr. Dadapeer K (54 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Mineralization of enamel is continuous process.

Detailed Answer:
Hello
Thank you for the follow up question.

As far as my knowledge of enamel goes enamel does not contain collagen.
Since it is avascular structure it is not renewed but it undergoes mineralization.

Hence mineral synthesis and mineralization will be occurring in enamel.

Hope this answers your question.

Thank you
With regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar