Acta Med. 2004, 47: 215-228
Acetylcholinesterase and Butyrylcholinesterase – Important Enzymes of Human Body
The serine hydrolases and proteases are a ubiquitous group of enzymes that is fundamental to many critical lifefunctions. Human tissues have two distinct cholinesterase activities: acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase. Acetylcholinesterase functions in the transmission of nerve impulses, whereas the physiological function of butyrylcholinesterase remains unknown. Acetylcholinesterase is one of the crucial enzymes in the central and peripheral nerve system. Organophosphates and carbamates are potent inhibitors of serine hydrolases and well suited probes for investigating the chemical reaction mechanism of the inhibition. Understanding the enzyme’s chemistry is essential in preventing and/or treating organophosphate and carbamate poisoning as well as designing new medicaments for cholinergic-related diseases like as Alzheimer’s disease.
Keywords
Acetylcholine, Acetylcholinesterase, Butyrylcholinesterase, Molecular forms, Cholinergic receptor, Organophosphates, Nerve agents, Carbamates, Reactivator, Oximes, Inhibition, Reactivation, Alzheimer’s disease, Cholinolytics, Cholinomimetics.
References
Copyright
Published by the Karolinum Press. For permission to use please write to actamedica@lfhk.cuni.cz.
