Covalent change in alpha crystallin during human senile cataractogenesis

The high molecular weight aggregates (HMWA) obtained from normal and cataractous human lens nuclei have been resolved by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and the alpha crystallin band has been probed with antisera made against the whole alpha crystallin molecule and with antisera made against synthetic peptides of alpha crystallin (alpha A2 147-161 and alpha A2 163-173). Quantitation of these antisera binding demonstrated that the anti-alpha A2 163-173 serum and the anti-alpha whole sera bound equally well to the alpha crystallin band from the HMWA fraction from normal and cataractous lenses. In contrast, the anti-alpha A2 147-161 serum bound little, if at all, to alpha crystallin from normal lenses, while it bound well to alpha crystallin from cataractous lenses. These results demonstrate a covalent alteration in the alpha crystallin molecule, and suggest a possible location of a covalent change that may occur during the cataractogenic process in the aged human lens.