Multiple Nature of Acetylcholinesterase in Nerve Tissue

Abstract

WITHIN recent years much evidence has been presented on the multiple nature of enzymes. Such enzyme systems as dehydrogenases¹, esterases², phosphatases³, etc., have been shown by various kinetic, electrophoretic and column separation techniques to exist as more than one molecular specie. It is too early to assess the significance of variations in properties of these similar substances because of the paucity of information correlating their biochemical nature and physiological functions. However, a large body of knowledge has accumulated on the physiological function of acetylcholinesterase relating it to the propagation of the nerve impulse. Data on the unitary or multiple nature of acetylcholinesterase in nervous tissue might lead to specific information on the relation of the enzyme to the nerve conduction process, or might shed light on the general problem of the physiological meaning of the occurrence of multiple molecular enzyme species. Bergmann and Segal⁴ have already shown that more than one acetylcholinesterase may be present in dog tissue and the multiple nature of serum cholinesterases in a variety of animals has been reported^5,6.