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A significant association between increased level of blood homocysteine (hyperhomocysteinimia) and various eye pathological disorders including cataract has been reported. This metabolic byproduct is converted into a highly reactive cyclic thioester compound, homocysteine thiolactone (HCTL), which can potentially react with free amino groups in protein. In the current study, as bovine lens γ-Crystallin (γ-Cry) was incubated with HCTL, various spectroscopic techniques, gel mobility shift assay, and microscopic analysis were applied to characterize structural variation and aggregation of this protein. According to the fluorescence results, HCTL-induced structural alteration was accompanied with the significant enhancement in surface hydrophobicity of γ-Cry. Also, this cyclic thioester was indicated to alter γ-Cry secondary structures and to induce aggregation of this protein. The results of gel mobility shift assay …