Absence of low-molecular-weight alpha crystallin in nuclear region of old human lenses.

Examination of old human lenses indicates that low-molecular-weight alpha crystallin is not present in the inner 30-40%, the nucleus, of the lens. The remainder of such lenses, the periphery, contains normal levels of this protein. This finding is in marked contrast to observations in young lenses, where a large quantity of this protein is found throughout the tissue.