Defective superoxide-dismutase molecules accumulate with age in human lenses.

The specific activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in human transparent lenses declines as a function of age. Immunotitration using monospecific antibodies showed that, with increasing age, lenses exhibit an accumulation of catalytically inactive, but antigenically reactive, enzyme molecules. Antiserum produced against denatured enzyme removed the inactive molecules from the lens homogenates without affecting the enzyme activity. These aberrant molecules are at least partially denatured and are totally devoid of catalytic activity.