can eye lens proteins be used to determine birth year?
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Can eye lens proteins be used to determine birth year?. Radiocarbon Dating of the human eye lens crystallines reveal proteins without carbon turnover throughout life Jace James & Lauren Erland. Lens Crystalline Proteins. Long lived proteins found in the lens of the eye - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
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Can eye lens proteins be used to determine birth
year?Radiocarbon Dating of the human eye lens crystallines reveal
proteins without carbon turnover throughout life
Jace James & Lauren Erland
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Lens Crystalline ProteinsLong lived proteins found in the lens of the eyeMaintains transparency of the lens
Prevent protein aggregation
Elongation of compact fibres of crystalline proteins results in lens formation
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14C Dating of Lens Crystalline ProteinsLarge accumulation of 14C in the atmosphere
after development and testing of nuclear bombs during and after World War II
Levels are much lower in marine environments
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AssumptionsLens crystallines formed as a single event in
the year of birth and do not degrade with ageZero turnover
Primarily terrestrial dietGlobally everyone has approximately the same diet
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Lens Crystallines formed as a single event and show zero turnover CataractsDeamidationSolubilityVitamin C
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Cataracts Age-related, protein aggregation disease
Denaturation & insolubilization of lens proteins Factors promoting cataract formation
UV light & ionizing radiation Diabetes, hypertension and advanced age Heavy smoking
Change from a reducing to an oxidizing environment environment results in protein unfolding Addition of oxygen atoms due to hydroxide radicals
Majority of the proteins in the nuclei of advanced ARN cataract lenses undergoing are due to extensive modification and protein unfolding
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Deamidation Modifications that disrupt the order of crystallines
Deamidation Truncation Methylation Oxidation Disulfide bond formation Glycation Racemization
Modification significantly decreases the amount of intact crystallines even in young adults
Deamidation is the most abundant modification
>60% Amide group removed Leads to protein instability
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SolubilityAmount of insoluble protein increases almost
linearly with ageIn ARN cataract, insoluble even in 8 M urea
increases progressively~ 50% total nuclear protein.
It has been estimated that all people will suffer from cataract if they live long enough
Proteins do change!
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Vitamin CVitamin C and its degradation products induce
protein modifications in vivo via non-enzymatic glycation
Vitamin C levels are particularly high in the lensDegradation products damage proteins via
formation of advanced glycation end products.
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Primarily terrestrial diet“Consumption of fish would have a significant effect
on the 14C content of the lenses because the 14C content is smaller than that in the atmosphere”
Humans use organic carbon as their carbon sourceAll carbon in our bodies is derived from the food we eatDiet completely determines the 14C content in our
tissuesSeafood accounts for 14-16% animal protein
consumed globally>1 billion rely on fish as their primary source of
animal protein
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Global Fish Consumption (WHO)
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Data Collection & Analysis13 people of varying agesAll from DenmarkSmall sample size, limited populationCannot accurately predict age of those born
before nuclear testing caused atmospheric build up of 14C 1950’sWWII
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Other problems…“It was our experience that the lens could be
removed up to three days post-mortem. After this period, post-mortem degradation and putrefaction made it impossible to extract the lens, as it became more and more fluid and not intact in its capsule”
Cannot be used on corpses more than 3 days oldOften months or years before a body is discovered
Practicality for forensic use?
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Other Methods of Age DeterminationTeeth
DentineAspartic acid racemizationRadiocarbon dating
SkeletonPartial or whole Can optimize techniques based on suspected age
Ie child, adult
In both cases age can be determined from a whole or partial skeleton or a (partially) decomposed body
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Can only use this method of age determination for people living in Denmark, born after WWII, who do not eat fish and seafood…
… And cannot be used it if the victim has been dead more than three days…
… or had a history of lens degrading diseases.