beta-crystallin B1/crybb1 (F6Y9L) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody #60327

β-crystallin B1, encoded by crybb1, is a member of the β-crystallins, one of three major crystallin types encoded by the mammalian genome, which also includes alpha- and gamma-crystallins. Crystallins are expressed at very high levels in the retinal lens and form homo/heterodimers via its N-terminal arms (1). Crystallins generally function to maintain the transparency and refractive power of the eye lens. However, they are expressed outside of the lens in other tissues and have alternative non-lens functions (2). For example, Nuc1 mutant rat, in which the βA3/A-crystallin gene is mutated, exhibit vascular remodeling abnormalities via an astrocyte-dependent mechanism (3,4). The precise cellular function of β-crystallins in glia is not well understood but may involve regulation of endolysosomal acidification, Golgi trafficking, and specific forms of cell death (5,6). Interestingly, crybb1 is highly enriched in microglia outside of the mammalian lens and may serve as a distinct marker for microglia (7).