Mammalian Brain Acetylcholinesterase

Acetylcholinesterase (acetylcholine acetylhydrolase, AChE: EC 3.1.1.7) has been the focus of much attention since it was first suggested that it plays an important role in the rapid destruction of acetylcholine (ACh) in a living organ (Dale, 1914 ). In the past decade there has been considerable progress regarding the nature, chemistry, and physiology of AChE. The catalytic properties, and their occurrence, histochemical localization, and molecular heterogeneity in the different tissues of different animal species have been extensively studied (Silver, 1974 ; Rosenberry, 1975 ; Trevor et al., 1978 ; Massoulie and Bon, 1982 ; Brimijoin, 1983 ). The advances have mainly been a result of the application of affinity chromatography and immunochemical techmques for enzyme purification.