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Chad Fite, Malathi Srivatsan.
Neural and circulating
cholinesterases of the marine mollusk Aplysia
californica
Abstract
Gastropod mollusk Aplysia californica has significant levels of cholinesterase in its
circulation. Hemolymph (blood) cholinesterase of Aplysia has both cholinergic and non-cholinergic functions, which
include promoting neurite growth. In order to understand the structure-function
relationship of hemolymph cholinesterase, we purified and characterized this
enzyme and compared it to the cholinesterase present in the ganglia of the
central nervous system of Aplysia.
Our results show that the cholinesterases from the CNS and hemolymph of Aplysia are acetylcholinesterases, which
differ from that of the vertebrates in their unique heavy molecular form. The
enzyme from the CNS differs from that of the hemolymph in its rate of
hydrolysis, substrate preference profiles and molecular forms, suggesting the
presence of two kinds of cholinesterases in Aplysia.
Copyright (C) Chemistry Dept., Moscow State University, 2002
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