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The expression of muscarinic acetylcholine binding sites and of cholinesterases was studied in extracts prepared from discrete regions of the human fetal brain, between the gestational ages of 14 and 24 weeks. The specific binding of [3H]N-methyl-4-piperidyl benzilate [( 4H]-4NMPB) to muscarinic binding sites ranged between 0.05 and 1.30 pmol/mg protein in the different brain regions, with Kd values of 1.2 +/- 0.2 nM. Binding of the cholinergic agonist oxotremorine fitted, in most of the brain regions examined, with a two-site model for the muscarinic binding sites. The density of muscarinic binding sites increased with development in most regions, with different rates and onset times. It was higher by about sixfold in some areas destined to become cholinergic, such as the cortex and midbrain, than in noncholinergic areas such as the cerebellum. In other areas destined to become cholinergic, such as the hippocampus and the caudate putamen, the receptor density remained low. Average density values increased from 0.1 +/- 0.1 at 14 weeks up to 0.7 +/- 0.4 pmol/mg protein at 24 weeks. The variability in the specific activities of cholinesterase was relatively low, and extracts from different brain regions hydrolyzed from 5 to 30 nmol of [3H]acetylcholine/min/mg protein. These were mostly "true" acetylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.7) activities, inhibited by 10(-5) M BW284C51, with minor pseudocholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8) activities, inhibited by 10(-5) M iso-OMPA. The enzyme from different brain regions and developmental stages displayed similar Km values toward [3H]acetylcholine (ca. 4 X 10(-4) M-1). The ontogenetic changes in cholinesterase specific activities had no unifying pattern and/or relationship to the cholinergic nature of the various brain areas. In most of the brain regions, the arbitrary ratio between the specific activity of cholinesterase and the density of muscarinic binding sites decreased with development, with average values and variability ranges of 83 +/- 50 and 19 +/- 19 at 14 and 24 weeks, respectively. Our findings suggest divergent regulation for cholinergic binding sites and cholinesterase in the fetal human brain and imply that the expression of muscarinic receptors is related to the development of cholinergic transmission, while acetylcholinesterase is also involved in other functions in the fetal human brain.
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