Alpha-Crystallin Protein Quaternary Structure Assembly Model

Eye-lens alpha-crystallins are very peculiar In the sense that they present polydispersity, a quality most often shared by man made polymers. Quaternary structure studies reveal that these proteins are assembled from about 50 subunits of two kinds. We developped a mixed aggregation model which renders, for alpha-crystallins, both size and polydispersity, in accordance with data in the litterature. The initial stoichiometry controls stability in the aggregation process and should be a very sensitive parameter to monitor in mixed aggregations.