Functional research advances of the protection of alpha crystallin to the lens transparency

α-Crytallin,composed of two menbers of the small heat shock protein,is the major component of the cytoplasm in lens.α-Crytallin not only possesses chaperone-like activity,but also plays important roles in regulation of cell cycle,enhancing genome stability and prevention of the stress-induced apoptosis.The gene mutation associated with α-crytallin is a common cause of hereditary cataract,which is the major cause of childhood blindness.Whereas various changes of the α-crytallin can result in the most common cause of blindness in the world—age-related cataract.Understanding of the function of α-crytallin helps to comprehend the development of lens and how the lens maintain its normal function,and to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of the cataract related to the malfunction of α-crytallin.The genetic mapping and mechanism of cataract and the function of α-crytallin are summarized here. Key words: α-Crytallin;  Cataract;  Chaperone;  Anti-apoptosis;  Genome stability