Acetylcholinesterase from the house-fly head. Molecular properties of soluble forms. 1976

R W Steele, and B N Smallman

1. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in Tris/glycine buffer (pH 8.3) revealed five forms of acetylcholinesterase (acetylcholine hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.7) in the 100 000 X g, 1-h supernatants of aqueous fly-head extracts from the DDT/S strain. Five other housefly strains (CSMA, Bayer 21/199, Cradson/P, Malathion/R and DDT/R)were shown qualitatively to have the same soluble forms of the enzyme. 2. Plots of the electrophoretic mobility versus polyacrylamide concentration indicated that the multiple forms constituted a size isomer family. From the retardation coefficients derived from these plots, molecular weight estimates were obtained; these suggested that the smallest active component was a form of approx. 80 000 daltons. The higher aggregates, however, did not appear as simple oligomers of this component. 3. Density gradient sedimentation supported the electrophoretic findings. The smallest active component, with a sedimentation coefficient of 5.3 S, was confirmed as a molecular species of acetylcholinesterase that has not previously been obtained from house-flies; higher aggregates gave sedimentation coefficients of 7.4, 7.8. 8.1, and 11.8 S. 4. Gel-filtration on calibrated Sephadex G-150 columns provided further evidence that the smallest active component was a form of about 80 000 daltons. 5. Autolysis converted much of the particulate enzyme and all of the soluble forms into a species of approx. 160 000 daltons indistinguishable from the native 7.4-S form. Both the autolysed enzyme and the native 7.4-S form were susceptible to cleavage by disulphide reducing agents, and released catalytically active subunits that corresponded to the 5.3-S form of 80 000 daltons. The data were compatible with a monomer-dimer relationship between the 5.3-S and 7.4-S forms. 6. The possibility is suggested that a form of molecular weight approx. 80 000 constitutes the "fundamental unit" of insect cholinesterase.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008623 Mercaptoethanol A water-soluble thiol derived from hydrogen sulfide and ethanol. It is used as a reducing agent for disulfide bonds and to protect sulfhydryl groups from oxidation. 2-ME,2-Mercaptoethanol,2 Mercaptoethanol
D008970 Molecular Weight The sum of the weight of all the atoms in a molecule. Molecular Weights,Weight, Molecular,Weights, Molecular
D011487 Protein Conformation The characteristic 3-dimensional shape of a protein, including the secondary, supersecondary (motifs), tertiary (domains) and quaternary structure of the peptide chain. PROTEIN STRUCTURE, QUATERNARY describes the conformation assumed by multimeric proteins (aggregates of more than one polypeptide chain). Conformation, Protein,Conformations, Protein,Protein Conformations
D002850 Chromatography, Gel Chromatography on non-ionic gels without regard to the mechanism of solute discrimination. Chromatography, Exclusion,Chromatography, Gel Permeation,Chromatography, Molecular Sieve,Gel Filtration,Gel Filtration Chromatography,Chromatography, Size Exclusion,Exclusion Chromatography,Gel Chromatography,Gel Permeation Chromatography,Molecular Sieve Chromatography,Chromatography, Gel Filtration,Exclusion Chromatography, Size,Filtration Chromatography, Gel,Filtration, Gel,Sieve Chromatography, Molecular,Size Exclusion Chromatography
D004220 Disulfides Chemical groups containing the covalent disulfide bonds -S-S-. The sulfur atoms can be bound to inorganic or organic moieties. Disulfide
D004591 Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis in which a polyacrylamide gel is used as the diffusion medium. Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis,SDS-PAGE,Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-PAGE,Gel Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide,SDS PAGE,Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate PAGE,Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate-PAGEs
D006257 Head The upper part of the human body, or the front or upper part of the body of an animal, typically separated from the rest of the body by a neck, and containing the brain, mouth, and sense organs. Heads
D006793 Houseflies Flies of the species Musca domestica (family MUSCIDAE), which infest human habitations throughout the world and often act as carriers of pathogenic organisms. Musca domestica,Housefly,Musca domesticas,domesticas, Musca
D000110 Acetylcholinesterase An enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis of ACETYLCHOLINE to CHOLINE and acetate. In the CNS, this enzyme plays a role in the function of peripheral neuromuscular junctions. EC 3.1.1.7. Acetylcholine Hydrolase,Acetylthiocholinesterase,Hydrolase, Acetylcholine

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