title: Characterization of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase activities in retinal chick pigment epithelium during development.
abstract: The presence of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase was studied in chick retinal pigment epithelium. Acetylcholinesterase activity was 13 times higher than that of butyrylcholinesterase. The former showed a Km of 290 microM and a vmax of 45.4 nmol mg-1 protein min-1, while the latter showed two apparent Km values (132 microM and 666 microM). Studies on subcellular distribution revealed that both enzymes are associated with membranes. During the embryonic development butyrylcholinesterase activity decreased, while acetylcholinesterase activity increased. The possibility that these changes are related to the proliferation and differentiation processes is discussed.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Neurociencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, D.F.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salceda
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Martinez
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase / Q000378:metabolism*; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002645:Chickens; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D008861:Microsomes / Q000201:enzymology; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000196:embryology* / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase; D002091:Butyrylcholinesterase