Ichthyosan in fish eye

Abstract

Ichthyosan A and V are two highly elastoviscous glycan complexes present in the aqueus and vitreus [here aqueus and vitreus are used as nouns as was suggested by Balazs and Denlinger in The eye, vol 1A. Vegetative physiology and biochemistry, 3rd edn. Academic Press, New York, pp 533–589, 1984] of the fish eye. Ichthyosan A, with its high elastic properties, surrounds and stabilizes the lens of the eye. Ichthyosan V, within the collagen fibers, serves as a structure stabilizer of the gel vitreus. These two molecular complexes are non-covalent aggregates composed of hyaluronan, a chondroitin-proteoglycan (sulfate free), and a keratan-like molecule. The ratio of hyaluronan to chondroitin–proteoglycan varies in the two ichthyosans. Electrophoretic separation methods (both free and gel electrophoresis) demonstrate that the hyaluronan–proteoglycan aggregates move as one molecular entity. The average molecular weight of the ichthyosan varies from 5.2 to 13.0 million in various species. Aquatic mammals do not have ichthyosan in their eyes.