Gene causing congenital cataract isolated

8220;The incidence of hereditary blindness is more common in South India, particularly Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, because of such tradition. We have located the defective gene on the eleventh chromosome,8221; Dr D Balasubramanian, Director, Research, Hyderabad Eye Research Foundation of the LVPEI, said.

A family from Andhra Pradesh with hereditary cataract running in three generations was studied. After detailed clinical, ophthalmological examinations and gene analysis, it was found that allthe affected family members showed a zonular cataract characterised by a y-shaped opacity in the eye lens, he said.

8220;We could identify and locate the gene responsible for making the proteins of eye lens defective and reflected directly as opacity of the lens8221;, Balasubramanian, the former director of the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology CCMB here, said.

The research project is a joint effort by LVPEI, the Department of Genetics of Osmania University here and the CCMB, Balasubramanian said.