As an approach to obtaining more information on the structure and function of the detoxification enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST) from human eye, the authors screened a human eye [lambda]gt11 cDNA library with fatty acid ethyl ester synthase-III (FAEES-III) cDNA. This cDNA encodes an acidic isoenzyme of the GSTs that metabolizes ethanol and can be classified as a [pi] GST. Sequence analysis of a selected clone indicated it to be a smooth muscle myosin alkali light chain, with the nucleotide sequence having 54% homology with the human myocardial FAEES-III nucleotide sequence. PCR analysis demonstrated the expression of ESMLC in aorta, eye, and heart. 10 refs., 2 figs.