U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination

CRYAA crystallin alpha A [ Homo sapiens (human) ]

Gene ID: 1409, updated on 5-Mar-2024

Summary

Official Symbol
CRYAAprovided by HGNC
Official Full Name
crystallin alpha Aprovided by HGNC
Primary source
HGNC:HGNC:2388
See related
Ensembl:ENSG00000160202 MIM:123580; AllianceGenome:HGNC:2388
Gene type
protein coding
RefSeq status
REVIEWED
Organism
Homo sapiens
Lineage
Eukaryota; Metazoa; Chordata; Craniata; Vertebrata; Euteleostomi; Mammalia; Eutheria; Euarchontoglires; Primates; Haplorrhini; Catarrhini; Hominidae; Homo
Also known as
CRYA1; HSPB4; CTRCT9
Summary
Mammalian lens crystallins are divided into alpha, beta, and gamma families. Alpha crystallins are composed of two gene products: alpha-A and alpha-B, for acidic and basic, respectively. Alpha crystallins can be induced by heat shock and are members of the small heat shock protein (HSP20) family. They act as molecular chaperones although they do not renature proteins and release them in the fashion of a true chaperone; instead they hold them in large soluble aggregates. Post-translational modifications decrease the ability to chaperone. These heterogeneous aggregates consist of 30-40 subunits; the alpha-A and alpha-B subunits have a 3:1 ratio, respectively. Two additional functions of alpha crystallins are an autokinase activity and participation in the intracellular architecture. The encoded protein has been identified as a moonlighting protein based on its ability to perform mechanistically distinct functions. Alpha-A and alpha-B gene products are differentially expressed; alpha-A is preferentially restricted to the lens and alpha-B is expressed widely in many tissues and organs. Defects in this gene cause autosomal dominant congenital cataract (ADCC). [provided by RefSeq, Jan 2014]
Expression
Restricted expression toward kidney (RPKM 43.9) See more
Orthologs
NEW
Try the new Gene table
Try the new Transcript table

Genomic context

Location:
21q22.3
Exon count:
4
Annotation release Status Assembly Chr Location
RS_2023_10 current GRCh38.p14 (GCF_000001405.40) 21 NC_000021.9 (43169008..43172810)
RS_2023_10 current T2T-CHM13v2.0 (GCF_009914755.1) 21 NC_060945.1 (41560102..41563905)
105.20220307 previous assembly GRCh37.p13 (GCF_000001405.25) 21 NC_000021.8 (44589118..44592920)

Chromosome 21 - NC_000021.9Genomic Context describing neighboring genes Neighboring gene uncharacterized LOC101928369 Neighboring gene Sharpr-MPRA regulatory region 15309 Neighboring gene mitochondrial ribosomal protein L51 pseudogene 2 Neighboring gene H3K4me1 hESC enhancer GRCh37_chr21:44561595-44562132 Neighboring gene H3K4me1 hESC enhancer GRCh37_chr21:44562133-44562668 Neighboring gene NANOG-H3K27ac-H3K4me1 hESC enhancer GRCh37_chr21:44567999-44568546 Neighboring gene FOXM1-regulated, gastric cancer associated Neighboring gene ReSE screen-validated silencer GRCh37_chr21:44568789-44568956 Neighboring gene uncharacterized LOC107987300 Neighboring gene H3K27ac-H3K4me1 hESC enhancer GRCh37_chr21:44574129-44574799 Neighboring gene H3K27ac-H3K4me1 hESC enhancer GRCh37_chr21:44575915-44576652 Neighboring gene H3K27ac-H3K4me1 hESC enhancer GRCh37_chr21:44576653-44577388 Neighboring gene H3K27ac-H3K4me1 hESC enhancer GRCh37_chr21:44581185-44581930 Neighboring gene H3K4me1 hESC enhancer GRCh37_chr21:44586921-44587466 Neighboring gene H3K27ac-H3K4me1 hESC enhancer GRCh37_chr21:44592742-44593372 Neighboring gene H3K27ac-H3K4me1 hESC enhancer GRCh37_chr21:44593373-44594003 Neighboring gene H3K4me1 hESC enhancer GRCh37_chr21:44595943-44596480 Neighboring gene uncharacterized LOC105372821 Neighboring gene uncharacterized LOC124905025 Neighboring gene H3K4me1 hESC enhancer GRCh37_chr21:44610761-44611262 Neighboring gene H3K4me1 hESC enhancer GRCh37_chr21:44611263-44611762

Genomic regions, transcripts, and products

Expression

  • Project title: HPA RNA-seq normal tissues
  • Description: RNA-seq was performed of tissue samples from 95 human individuals representing 27 different tissues in order to determine tissue-specificity of all protein-coding genes
  • BioProject: PRJEB4337
  • Publication: PMID 24309898
  • Analysis date: Wed Apr 4 07:08:55 2018

Bibliography

GeneRIFs: Gene References Into Functions

What's a GeneRIF?

Phenotypes

Associated conditions

Description Tests
Cataract 9 multiple types
MedGen: C1858679 OMIM: 604219 GeneReviews: Not available
Compare labs

EBI GWAS Catalog

Description
Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in multiethnic Asians identifies two loci for age-related nuclear cataract.
EBI GWAS Catalog

Interactions

Products Interactant Other Gene Complex Source Pubs Description

General gene information

Markers

Gene Ontology Provided by GOA

Function Evidence Code Pubs
enables identical protein binding IPI
Inferred from Physical Interaction
more info
PubMed 
enables metal ion binding IEA
Inferred from Electronic Annotation
more info
 
enables protein binding IPI
Inferred from Physical Interaction
more info
PubMed 
enables structural constituent of eye lens IEA
Inferred from Electronic Annotation
more info
 
enables structural molecule activity IDA
Inferred from Direct Assay
more info
PubMed 
enables unfolded protein binding IBA
Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
more info
 
enables unfolded protein binding IMP
Inferred from Mutant Phenotype
more info
PubMed 
enables unfolded protein binding IPI
Inferred from Physical Interaction
more info
PubMed 
Process Evidence Code Pubs
involved_in lens development in camera-type eye IBA
Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
more info
 
involved_in negative regulation of apoptotic process IBA
Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
more info
 
involved_in negative regulation of apoptotic process IDA
Inferred from Direct Assay
more info
PubMed 
involved_in negative regulation of apoptotic process IMP
Inferred from Mutant Phenotype
more info
PubMed 
involved_in negative regulation of intracellular transport IDA
Inferred from Direct Assay
more info
PubMed 
involved_in protein refolding IBA
Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
more info
 
NOT involved_in protein refolding ISS
Inferred from Sequence or Structural Similarity
more info
 
involved_in protein stabilization IMP
Inferred from Mutant Phenotype
more info
PubMed 
involved_in response to heat IBA
Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
more info
 
involved_in visual perception IMP
Inferred from Mutant Phenotype
more info
PubMed 
Component Evidence Code Pubs
is_active_in cytoplasm IBA
Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
more info
 
located_in cytoplasm IDA
Inferred from Direct Assay
more info
PubMed 
located_in cytosol IDA
Inferred from Direct Assay
more info
 
located_in nucleoplasm IDA
Inferred from Direct Assay
more info
 
is_active_in nucleus IBA
Inferred from Biological aspect of Ancestor
more info
 
located_in nucleus IDA
Inferred from Direct Assay
more info
PubMed 
part_of protein-containing complex IDA
Inferred from Direct Assay
more info
PubMed 

General protein information

Preferred Names
alpha-crystallin A chain
Names
crystallin, alpha-1
heat shock protein beta-4
human alphaA-crystallin (CRYA1)

NCBI Reference Sequences (RefSeq)

NEW Try the new Transcript table

RefSeqs maintained independently of Annotated Genomes

These reference sequences exist independently of genome builds. Explain

These reference sequences are curated independently of the genome annotation cycle, so their versions may not match the RefSeq versions in the current genome build. Identify version mismatches by comparing the version of the RefSeq in this section to the one reported in Genomic regions, transcripts, and products above.

Genomic

  1. NG_009823.1 RefSeqGene

    Range
    4978..8775
    Download
    GenBank, FASTA, Sequence Viewer (Graphics)

mRNA and Protein(s)

  1. NM_000394.4NP_000385.1  alpha-crystallin A chain isoform 1

    See identical proteins and their annotated locations for NP_000385.1

    Status: REVIEWED

    Source sequence(s)
    BC113598, BE552434, BX118596
    Consensus CDS
    CCDS13695.1
    UniProtKB/Swiss-Prot
    A0A140G945, E9PHE4, P02489, Q53X53
    Related
    ENSP00000291554.2, ENST00000291554.6
    Conserved Domains (2) summary
    cd06497
    Location:60145
    ACD_alphaA-crystallin_HspB4; Alpha-crystallin domain found in the small heat shock protein (sHsp) alphaA-crystallin (HspB4, 20kDa). sHsps are molecular chaperones that suppress protein aggregation and protect against cell stress, and are generally active as large oligomers ...
    pfam00525
    Location:151
    Crystallin; Alpha crystallin A chain, N terminal
  2. NM_001363766.1NP_001350695.1  alpha-crystallin A chain isoform 2

    Status: REVIEWED

    Source sequence(s)
    AP001631
    Consensus CDS
    CCDS86989.1
    UniProtKB/TrEMBL
    A0A8C8KJZ9, E7EWH7
    Related
    ENSP00000381200.1, ENST00000398132.1
    Conserved Domains (1) summary
    cl00175
    Location:26108
    alpha-crystallin-Hsps_p23-like; alpha-crystallin domain (ACD) found in alpha-crystallin-type small heat shock proteins, and a similar domain found in p23 (a cochaperone for Hsp90) and in other p23-like proteins.

RefSeqs of Annotated Genomes: GCF_000001405.40-RS_2023_10

The following sections contain reference sequences that belong to a specific genome build. Explain

Reference GRCh38.p14 Primary Assembly

Genomic

  1. NC_000021.9 Reference GRCh38.p14 Primary Assembly

    Range
    43169008..43172810
    Download
    GenBank, FASTA, Sequence Viewer (Graphics)

Alternate T2T-CHM13v2.0

Genomic

  1. NC_060945.1 Alternate T2T-CHM13v2.0

    Range
    41560102..41563905
    Download
    GenBank, FASTA, Sequence Viewer (Graphics)