UCHL1 and cataract: In the retina, expression seems to be most abundant in the horizontal and ganglion cells.13 To our knowledge there is only one report on UCHL1 expression in the lens, showing increased expression in the lens epithelial cells of atopic cataracts.14 UPS activity is present in the aging lens and seems to diminish both with increasing turbidity and from the lens epithelium to the nucleus.15 Cataract is opacification of the eye lens resulting from the aggregation of lens proteins, mainly the so called crystallins.