title: Acetylcholinesterase genes in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.
abstract: Acetylcholinesterase (AChE, EC 3.1.1.7) is responsible for the termination of cholinergic nerve transmission. It is the target of organophosphates and carbamates, two types of chemical pesticides being used extensively in agriculture and veterinary medicine against insects and nematodes. Whereas there is usually one single gene encoding AChE in insects, nematodes are one of the rare phyla where multiple ace genes have been unambiguously identified. We have taken advantage of the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans model to identify the four genes encoding AChE in this species. Two genes, ace-1 and ace-2, encode two major AChEs with different pharmacological properties and tissue repartition: ace-1 is expressed in muscle cells and a few neurons, whereas ace-2 is mainly expressed in motoneurons. ace-3 represents a minor proportion of the total AChE activity and is expressed only in a few cells, but it is able to sustain double null mutants ace-1; ace-2. It is resistant to usual cholinesterase inhibitors. ace-4 was transcribed but the corresponding enzyme was not detected in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Différenciation Cellulaire et Croissance/INRA, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Combes
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fedon
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Toutant
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arpagaus
mesh_terms: D000110:Acetylcholinesterase / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D017173:Caenorhabditis elegans / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D007202:Indicators and Reagents / Q000378:metabolism; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D029742:Caenorhabditis elegans Proteins; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007527:Isoenzymes; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D000110:Acetylcholinesterase