Crystallins are the dominant structural components of the vertebrate eye lens. Homo/heterodimer, or complexes of higher-order. The structure of beta-crystallin oligomers seems to be stabilized through interactions between the N-terminal arms (By similarity). Has a two-domain beta-structure, folded into four very similar Greek key motifs. Specific cleavages in the N-terminal arm occur during lens maturation and give rise to several truncated forms. Cleavages do not seem to have adverse effects on solubility. S-methylation and glutathionylation occur in normal young lenses and do not seem to be detrimental. The disease is caused by variants affecting the gene represented in this entry. Belongs to the beta/gamma-crystallin family. Leiden Open Variation Database (LOVD)