Meeting Report for: The 11th International Meeting on Cholinesterases

Human liver prolidase, a metal-dependent dipeptidase, is being tested as a potential catalytic bioscavenger against organophosphorus (OP) chemical warfare nerve agents. The purpose of this study was to determine whether persistent and high-levels of biologically active and intact recombinant human (rHu) prolidase could be introduced in vivo in mice using adenovirus (Ad). Here, we report that a single intravenous injection of Ad containing the prolidase gene with a 6x histidine-tag (Ad-prolidase) introduced high-levels of rHu prolidase in the circulation of mice which peaked on days 5-7 at 159+/-129U/mL. This level of prolidase is approximately 120 times greater than that of the enzyme level in mice injected with Ad-null virus. To determine if all of Ad-prolidase-produced rHu prolidase was exported into the circulation, enzyme activity was measured in a variety of tissues. Liver contained the highest levels of rHu prolidase on day 7 (5647+/-454U/g) compared to blood or any other tissue. Recombinant Hu prolidase hydrolyzed DFP, a simulant of OP nerve agents, in vitro. In vivo, prolidase overexpression extended the survival of 4 out of 6 mice by 4-8h against exposure to two 1x LD50 doses of DFP. In contrast, overexpression of mouse butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), a proven stoichiometric bioscavenger of OP compounds, protected 5 out of 6 mice from DFP lethality and surviving mice showed no symptoms of DFP toxicity. In conclusion, the results suggest that gene delivery using Ad is capable of introducing persistent and high levels of human liver prolidase in vivo. The gene-delivered prolidase hydrolyzed DFP in vitro but provided only modest protection in vivo in mice, delaying the death of the animals by only 4-8h.

Organophosphorus compounds (OPC) were developed as warfare nerve agents. They are also widely used as pesticides. The drug therapy of intoxication with OPC includes mainly combination of cholinesterase (ChE) reactivators and cholinolytics. There is no single ChE reactivator having an ability to reactivate sufficiently the inhibited enzyme due to the high variability of chemical structure of the inhibitors. The difficulties in reactivation of ChE activity and slight antidote effect regarding intoxication with some OPC are some of the reasons for continuous efforts to obtain new reactivators of ChE. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of some ChE reactivators against OPC intoxication (tabun, paraoxon and dichlorvos) in in vitro experiments and to compare their activity to that known for some currently used oximes (obidoxime, HI-6, 2-PAM). Experiments were carried out using rat brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Reactivators showed different activity in the reactivation of rat brain AChE after dichlorvos, paraoxon and tabun inhibition. AChE was easier reactivated after paraoxon treatment. The best effect showed BT-07-4M, obidoxime, TMB-4(Trimedoxime) and BT-08 from the group of symmetric oximes, and Toxidin, BT-05 and BT-03 from asymmetric compounds. The reactivation of brain AChE inhibited with tabun demonstrated better activity of new compound BT-07-4M, TMB-4(Trimedoxime) and obidoxime from symmetric oximes, and BT-05 and BT-03 possessing asymmetric structure. All compounds showed low activity toward inhibition of AChE caused by dichlorvos. Comparison of two main structure types (symmetric/asymmetric) showed that the symmetric compounds reactivated better AChE, inhibited with this OPC, than asymmetric ones.

Individuals aboard jet aircraft may be exposed to potentially toxic triaryl organophosphate anti-wear lubricant additives (TAPs) that are converted by cytochromes P450 into toxic metabolites. Consequences of exposure could be reduced by using less toxic TAPs. Our goal was to determine whether an in vitro assay for inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) by bioactivated TAPs would be predictive of inhibition of serine active-site enzymes in vivo. The in vitro assay involved TAP bioactivation with liver microsomes and NADPH, followed by incubation with human BChE and measurement of BChE activity. Of 19 TAPs tested, tert-butylated isomers produced the least BChE inhibition. To determine the relevance of these results in vivo, mice were exposed to Durad 125 (D125; a commercial mixture of TAP esters) or to TAPs demonstrating low or no BChE inhibition when assayed in vitro. Inhibition of BChE by bioactivated TAPs in vitro correlated well with inhibition of other serine active-site enzymes in vivo, with the exception of brain acetylcholinesterase and neuropathy target esterase (NTE), which were not inhibited by any TAP tested following single exposures. A recombinant catalytic domain of NTE (rNEST) exhibited classical kinetic properties of NTE. The metabolite of tri-(o-cresyl) phosphate (ToCP), 2-(o-cresyl)-4H-1,3,2-benzodioxaphosphoran-2-one (CBDP), inhibited rNEST in vitro, but with an IC50 value almost 6-times higher than for inhibition of BChE. Physiologically-relevant concentrations of the flavonoid naringenin dramatically reduced D125 bioconversion in vitro. The in vitro assay should provide a valuable tool for prescreening candidate TAP anti-wear additives, identifying safer additives and reducing the number of animals required for in vivo toxicity testing.

Hydrolysis of acetylcholine by acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is extremely rapid, with a second-order hydrolysis rate constant kE (often denoted kcat/KM) that approaches 10(8)M(-1)s(-1). AChE contains a deep active site gorge with two sites of ligand binding, an acylation site (or A-site) containing the catalytic triad at the base of the gorge and a peripheral site (or P-site) near the gorge entrance. The P-site is known to contribute to catalytic efficiency with acetylthiocholine (AcSCh) by transiently trapping the substrate in a low affinity complex on its way to the A-site, where a short-lived acyl enzyme intermediate is produced. Here we ask whether the P-site does more than simply trap the substrate but in fact selectively gates entry to the A-site to provide specificity for AcSCh (and acetylcholine) relative to the close structural analogs acetyl(homo)thiocholine (Ac-hSCh, which adds one additional methylene group to thiocholine) and acetyl(nor)thiocholine (Ac-nSCh, which deletes one methylene group from thiocholine). We synthesized Ac-hSCh and Ac-nSCh and overcame technical difficulties associated with instability of the northiocholine hydrolysis product. We then compared the catalytic parameters of these substrates with AChE to those of AcSCh. Values of kE for Ac-hSCh and Ac-nSCh were about 2% of that for AcSCh. The kE for AcSCh is close to the theoretical diffusion-controlled limit for the substrate association rate constant, but kE values for Ac-hSCh or Ac-nSCh are too low to be limited by diffusion control. However, analyses of kinetic solvent isotope effects and inhibition patterns for P-site inhibitors indicate that these two analogs also do not equilibrate with the A-site prior to the initial acylation step of catalysis. We propose that kE for these substrates is partially rate-limited by a gating step that involves the movement of bound substrate from the P-site to the A-site.

We are evaluating a facilitative transport strategy to move oximes across the blood brain barrier (BBB) to reactivate inhibited brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE). We selected glucose (Glc) transporters (GLUT) for this purpose as these transporters are highly represented in the BBB. Glc conjugates have successfully moved drugs across the BBB and previous work has shown that Glc-oximes (sugar-oximes, SOxs) can reduce the organophosphonate induced hypothermia response. We previously evaluated the reactivation potential of Glc carbon C-1 SOxs. Here we report the reactivation parameters for VX- and GB-inhibited human (Hu) AChE of the best SOx (13c) and our findings that the kinetics are similar to those of the parent oxime. Although crystals of Torpedo californica AChE were produced, neither soaked or co-crystallized experiments were successful at concentrations below 20mM 13c, and higher concentrations cracked the crystals. 13c was non-toxic to neuroblastoma and kidney cell lines at 12-18mM, allowing high concentrations to be used in a BBB kidney cell model. The transfer of 13c from the donor side was asymmetric with the greatest loss of 13c from the apical- or luminal-treated side. There was no apparent transfer from the basolateral side. The 13cPapp results indicate a 'low' transport efficiency; however, mass accounting revealed only a 20% recovery from the apical dose in which high concentrations were found in the cell lysate fraction. Molecular modeling of 13c through the GLUT-1 channel demonstrated that transport of 13c was more restricted than Glc. Selected sites were compared and the 13c binding energies were greater than two times those of Glc.

Gene amplifications and deletions are common changes in human cancer cells. Previous studies indicate that the regions, where the ACHE (7q22) and BCHE (3q26.1-q26.2) genes are localized, are suffering such structural modifications in breast cancer. Therefore, the products of these genes, acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase, respectively, are related to the process of cell differentiation and proliferation, as well as apoptosis. This study also included two other genes involved in tumorigenesis, the EPHB4 (7q22.1) and MME (3q21-27). The aim of this study was to verify amplification and/or deletion in the ACHE, BCHE, EPHB4 and MME genes in 32 samples of sporadic breast cancer. The gene alterations were detected using real-time PCR and determined by relative quantification with the standard curve method. All samples presented genetic alterations, showing a higher tendency for amplification of the ACHE (62.5% vs. 37.5%; p>0.1) and EPHB4 (53.13% vs. 46.88%; p>0.5) genes, and for deletions of the BCHE and MME genes (56.25% vs. 43.75% for both; p>0.5). A positive correlation was found between alterations in ACHE-EPHB4 and BCHE-MME pairs (rs=0.5948; p=0.0004; rs=0.3581; p=0.0478, respectively) indicating that these changes comprise a wide region. In conclusion, the results suggest that these genomic regions may contain important genes for this pathology, such as the oncogenes MET (7q31) and PIK3CA (3q26), and thus being interesting targets for future studies in breast cancer research.

We are investigating treatments for cocaine abuse based on viral gene transfer of a cocaine hydrolase (CocH) derived from human butyrylcholinesterase, which can reduce cocaine-stimulated locomotion and cocaine-primed reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior in rats for many months. Here, in mice, we explored the possibility that anti-cocaine antibodies can complement the actions of CocH to reduce cocaine uptake in brain and block centrally-evoked locomotor stimulation. Direct injections of test proteins showed that CocH (0.3 or 1mg/kg) was effective by itself in reducing drug levels in plasma and brain of mice given cocaine (10mg/kg, s.c., or 20mg/kg, i.p). Administration of cocaine antibody per se at a low dose (8mg/kg, i.p.) exerted little effect on cocaine distribution. However, a higher dose of antibody (12mg/kg) caused peripheral trapping (increased plasma drug levels), which led to increased cocaine metabolism by CocH, as evidenced by a 6-fold rise in plasma benzoic acid. Behavioral tests with small doses of CocH and antibody (1 and 8mg/kg, respectively) showed that neither agent alone reduced mouse locomotor activity triggered by a very large cocaine dose (100mg/kg, i.p.). However, dual treatment completely suppressed the locomotor stimulation. Altogether, we found cooperative and possibly synergistic actions that warrant further exploration of dual therapies for treatment of cocaine abuse.

This study was designed to investigate the effects of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) supplementation and endurance exercise training-induced changes on post-heparin lipoprotein lipase (PH-LPL) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activities along with leptin, insulin and lipid levels in plasma by a randomized double blind experiment. Eighteen sedentary male volunteers were randomly divided into CLA and Placebo (PLC) supplementation groups. Both groups underwent daily supplementation of either 3g CLA or 3g placebo for 30days, respectively, and performed exercise on a bicycle ergometer 3 times per week for 30-40min at 50% VO2 peak workload. For plasma glucose, insulin and leptin levels and BChE activity fasting blood was used. For PH-LPL measurements, blood was collected 15min after 50IU/kg iv heparin injection. In all groups, there is a statistically significant decrease in BChE (p=0.03, p=0.02) and leptin (p=0.002), insulin and HOMA-IR levels (p=0.02). Exercise with or without CLA supplementation decreased insulin levels and increased insulin sensitivity. PH-LPL activity was increased significantly in both groups, displaying increased fatty acid mobilization. We conclude that though CLA supplementation and exercise can affect these parameters, CLA is not more effective than exercise alone. Hence, a prolonged supplementation regime may be more effective. Taken together in our small study group, our findings display that BChE is a potential marker for synthetic function of liver, fat metabolism, an obesity marker, a function long overlooked.

The anticholinesterase (antiChE) organophosphorus (OP) and methylcarbamate (MC) insecticides have been used very effectively as contact and systemic plant protectants for seven decades. About 90 of these compounds are still in use - the largest number for any insecticide chemotype or mode of action. In both insects and mammals, AChE inhibition and acetylcholine accumulation leads to excitation and death. The cholinergic system of insects is located centrally (where it is protected from ionized OPs and MCs) but not at the neuromuscular junction. Structural differences between insect and mammalian AChE are also evident in their genomics, amino acid sequences and active site conformations. Species selectivity is determined in part by inhibitor and target site specificity. Pest population selection with OPs and MCs has resulted in a multitude of modified AChEs of altered inhibitor specificity some conferring insecticide resistance and others enhancing sensitivity. Much of the success of antiChE insecticides results from a suitable balance of bioactivation and detoxification by families of CYP450 oxidases, hydrolases, glutathione S-transferases and others. Known inhibitors for these enzymes block detoxification and enhance potency which is particularly important in resistant strains. The current market for OPs and MCs of 19% of worldwide insecticide sales is only half of that of 10years ago for several reasons: there have been no major new compounds for 30years; resistance has eroded their effectiveness; human toxicity problems are still encountered; the patents have expired reducing the incentive to update registration packages; alternative chemotypes or control methods have been developed. Despite this decline, they still play a major role in pest control and the increasing knowledge on their target sites and metabolism may make it possible to redesign the inhibitors for insensitive AChEs and to target new sites in the cholinergic system. The OPs and MCs are down but not out.

A critical need for combating the effects of organophosphate (OP) anticholinesterases, such as nerve agents, is the current lack of an effective oxime reactivator which can penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and therefore reactivate inhibited acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the brain. Our laboratories have synthesized and have initiated testing of novel phenoxyalkyl pyridinium oximes (patent pending) that are more lipophilic than currently approved oximes. This is a preliminary report on these novel oximes which have been tested in vitro in rat brain homogenates with highly relevant surrogates for sarin (phthalimidyl isopropyl methylphosphonate; PIMP) and VX (nitrophenyl ethyl methylphosphonate; NEMP). The oximes demonstrated a range of 14-76% reactivation of rat brain AChE in vitro. An in vivo testing paradigm was developed in which the novel oxime was administered at the time of maximal brain AChE inhibition (about 80%) (1h) elicited by nitrophenyl isopropyl methylphosphonate (NIMP; sarin surrogate). This paradigm, with delayed administration of oxime to a time when brain AChE was starting to recover, was designed to minimize reactivation/reinhibition of peripheral AChE during the reactivation period which would decrease the availability of the surrogate for entry into the brain; this paradigm will allow proof of concept of BBB penetrability. The initial studies of these oximes in vivo with the sarin surrogate NIMP have indicated reactivation of up to about 25% at 30min after oxime administration and substantial attenuation of seizure behavior from some of the oximes. Therefore these novel oximes have considerable potential as brain-protecting therapeutics for anticholinesterases.

Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) has been associated to body mass index (BMI), weight, cholesterol and triglyceride levels. -116A (rs1126680) and K (A539T, 1615A, rs1803274) BCHE gene variants had previously been associated to BChE activity, weight and BMI variance in adults. The present study examined -116A and K variants, BChE activity, anthropometric and biochemical variables associated with obesity in adolescents (120 obese and 150 non-obese from Curitiba, Brazil). Both -116A and K variants were found with significantly lower frequencies (p<0.05) in obese adolescents when compared with non-obese adolescents and with the general population. Mean BChE activity (KU/L) was significantly higher in obese adolescents when compared with non-obese adolescents and with the general population. Analyzing only the obese adolescents, it was found that carriers of the -116A variant showed lower BChE activity and higher triglyceride levels than homozygotes for the usual allele. Indeed, obese carriers of the -116A variant had triglyceride levels considered high according to reference values for serum triglycerides in Brazilian adolescents. These results show: (1) a protective effect of -116A and K variants on juvenile obesity risk, suggesting a role for the BCHE gene on juvenile onset obesity different from that observed on adult onset obesity and (2) an association of the -116A variant with hypertriglyceridemia in obese adolescents probably because of its effect on lowering BChE activity and consequently diminishing the enzyme capability of maintaining homeostasis on lipid metabolism during the metabolic stress caused by obesity.

The gene encoding the collagen-tailed subunit (ColQ) of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) contains two distinct promoters that drive the production of two ColQ mRNAs, ColQ-1 and ColQ-1a, in slow- and fast-twitch muscles, respectively. ColQ-1a is expressed at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) in fast-twitch muscle, and this expression depends on trophic factors supplied by motor neurons signaling via a cAMP-dependent pathway in muscle. To further elucidate the molecular basis of ColQ-1a's synaptic expression, here we investigated the expression and localization of cAMP-responsive element binding protein (CREB) at the synaptic and extra-synaptic regions of fast- and slow-twitch muscles from adult rats. The total amount of active, phosphorylated CREB (P-CREB) present in slow-twitch soleus muscle was higher than that in fast-twitch tibialis muscle, but P-CREB was predominantly expressed in the fast-twitch muscle at NMJs. In contrast, P-CREB was detected in both synaptic and extra-synaptic regions of slow-twitch muscle. These results reveal, for the first time, the differential distribution of P-CREB in fast- and slow-twitch muscles, which might support the crucial role of cAMP-dependent signaling in controlling the synapse-specific expression of ColQ-1a in fast-twitch muscles.

Butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE) is found to have a brain distribution pattern that is distinct from that of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Neurons containing BCHE are particularly located in the amygdala, hippocampal formation and the thalamus, structures involved in the normal functions of cognition and behavior that typically become compromised in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Progress of this disease is thought to result, at least in part, from the accumulation of beta-amyloid (Abeta) plaques and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) in the brain. These structures characteristically become associated with cholinesterase activity, and are major determinants of AD diagnosis post-mortem. Early definitive AD diagnosis in the living brain could greatly facilitate specific timely treatment of the disorder and the search for novel drugs to preempt progress of this disease. Radioligands have been developed to detect deposition of Abeta plaques in the brain; however, since many cognitively normal individuals also exhibit Abeta plaque deposition, this approach has inherent disadvantages for definitive AD diagnosis during life. The association of BCHE with Abeta plaques appears to be a characteristic of AD. This has prompted the search for radioligands that target BCHE in association with Abeta plaques that accumulate in cortical grey matter, a region normally with very little of this enzyme activity. A number of BCHE radioligands have been synthesized and preliminary testing indicates that some such radioligands enter the brain and accumulate in regions known to contain BCHE. Radioligands targeting unusual BCHE activity in the brain may represent a means for early diagnosis and treatment monitoring of AD.

The human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity is less than 1% in the serum of silent variant individuals of Vysya community in India. They are homozygous for a point mutation at codon 307 (CTT-->CCT) resulting in the substitution of leucine 307 by proline. The reason for the disappearance of the protein in the serum has not been explicated till date. Based on this background, we performed molecular dynamics simulation to probe the structural stability of Indian variant (L307P) in comparison with wild and other BChE variants (D70G, E497V, V142M) having differential esterase activity. The simulation of all the mutants except D70G showed a much larger Calpha root mean square deviation from the wild BChE crystal structure, showing the overall conformational disturbance. Further analysis revealed that secondary structure of the mutant proteins was not stable. The orientation of the catalytic triad is also distorted in all the mutants. The distance between delta nitrogen of His438 to epsilon oxygen of Glu325 and epsilon nitrogen of His438 to gamma oxygen of Ser198 were highly altered in L307P mutant than the wild and other three variants throughout the simulation. Such disparity of distances between the catalytic residues may be due to the change in the protein conformation attributing to their differential catalytic activity. Our studies thus prove that the Indian BChE L307P mutant with negligible activity is possibly due to its structural instability when compared to other BChE variants.

Organophosphorus nerve agents (NA), potent irreversible cholinesterase inhibitors, could induce severe seizures, status epilepticus (SE), seizure-related brain damage (SRBD) and lethality. Despite the lack of data in the case of NA, clinical evidences suggest that SE survivors could suffer from neurological/cognitive deficits and impairments such as spontaneous recurrent seizures (epilepsy) after a latent period of epileptogenesis. It is beyond doubt that an effective and quick management of the initial seizures and prevention of SRBD are critical to prevent these long-term consequences, explaining why most experimental data are focusing on the 5-40min post-exposure time frame. However, in field conditions, treatment may be delayed and with the exception of NMDA receptor antagonists, currently no drug provides protection (against lethality, seizures, SRBD and neurological consequences) when seizures are left unabated for one hour or more. Ketamine (KET) is the only NMDA antagonist licensed as an injectable drug in different countries and remains an anesthetic of choice in some difficult field conditions. In this short review paper, after a presentation of some of the key points of the pathophysiology of NA-induced SE and a quick survey of the potential therapeutic avenues in the context of delayed treatment of NA-induced SE, we will review the recent data we obtained showing that KET, in combination with atropine sulfate (AS), with or without a benzodiazepine, considerably reduces soman-induced neuroinflammation, provides neuroprotection, histologically and functionally, and also positively modify soman-induced changes in brain metabolism. Finally, we will also mention some results from safety studies including those bringing evidence that, at difference with MK-801, KET does not impair thermoregulation and even seems to reduce AS-induced heat stress. All in all, KET, in combination, appears a good candidate for the out-of-hospital treatment of severe NA-induced SE.

Organophosphorus compounds (OPs) cause neurotoxic disorders through interactions with well-known target esterases, such as acetylcholinesterase and neuropathy target esterase (NTE). However, the OPs can potentially interact with other esterases of unknown significance. Therefore, identifying, characterizing and elucidating the nature and functional significance of the OP-sensitive pool of esterases in the central and peripheral nervous systems need to be investigated. Kinetic models have been developed and applied by considering multi-enzymatic systems, inhibition, spontaneous reactivation, the chemical hydrolysis of the inhibitor and "ongoing inhibition" (inhibition during the substrate reaction time). These models have been applied to discriminate enzymatic components among the esterases in nerve tissues of adult chicken, this being the experimental model for delayed neuropathy and to identify different modes of interactions between OPs and soluble brain esterases. The covalent interaction with the substrate catalytic site has been demonstrated by time-progressive inhibition during ongoing inhibition. The interaction of sequential exposure to an esterase inhibitor has been tested in brain soluble fraction where exposure to one inhibitor at a non inhibitory concentration has been seen to modify sensitivity to further exposure to others. The effect has been suggested to be caused by interaction with sites other than the inhibition site at the substrate catalytic site. This kind of interaction among esterase inhibitors should be considered to study the potentiation/promotion phenomenon, which is observed when some esterase inhibitors enhance the severity of the OP induced neuropathy if they are dosed after a non neuropathic low dose of a neuropathy inducer.

Organophosphorus nerve agents are irreversible inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase. Current treatment of nerve agent poisoning has limited efficacy and more efficient medical countermeasures need to be developed. A promising approach is to design chemical scavengers more stable during storage and less immunogenic than bioscavengers. Furthermore, they could be produced at lowest production costs. Cyclodextrins are attractive cyclic oligosaccharides that can be used to develop chemical scavengers of organophosphorus nerve agents. Their abilities to form inclusion and non-inclusion complexes with organic substrates are useful to trap chemical warfare agents. Selective introduction of an alpha-nucleophile residue on the secondary face of beta-cyclodextrin allowed to obtain supramolecular derivatives active against organophosphorus compounds. The degradation activity of these monosubstituted cyclodextrins was determined against paraoxon and chemical warfare agents. These tests showed that the structure of the scavengers mainly influences the interaction between the organophosphorus substrate, or its reaction products, and the cyclodextrin moiety. All the tested G-type agents were efficiently degraded. According to the binding modes of cyclosarin, some oligosaccharidic scavengers led to an enantioselective degradation of this nerve agent. These promising derivatives open the way to further investigations of new structural modifications to reach more sophisticated and efficient scavengers for prophylactic and curative medical applications.

In developing an vivo drug-interception therapy to treat cocaine abuse and hinder relapse into drug seeking provoked by re-encounter with cocaine, two promising agents are: (1) a cocaine hydrolase enzyme (CocH) derived from human butyrylcholinesterase and delivered by gene transfer; (2) an anti-cocaine antibody elicited by vaccination. Recent behavioral experiments showed that antibody and enzyme work in a complementary fashion to reduce cocaine-stimulated locomotor activity in rats and mice. Our present goal was to test protection against liver damage and muscle weakness in mice challenged with massive doses of cocaine at or near the LD50 level (100-120mg/kg, i.p.). We found that, when the interceptor proteins were combined at doses that were only modestly protective in isolation (enzyme, 1mg/kg; antibody, 8mg/kg), they provided complete protection of liver tissue and motor function. When the enzyme levels were approximately 400-fold higher, after in vivo transduction by adeno-associated viral vector, similar protection was observed from CocH alone.

In rat fast muscles, collagen Q (ColQ) expression is restricted to the neuromuscular junctions. In contrast, it is high also extrajunctionally in the slow soleus muscles. Fast muscles activated by chronic low-frequency electrical stimulation, similar to neural activation of the soleus muscles, did not increase their extrajunctional expression of ColQ. We assumed that the myogenic stem cells (satellite cells) in fast and slow muscles were intrinsically different in regard to the capacity that they convey to their respective muscle fibers to increase the extrajunctional ColQ expression upon innervation. ColQ mRNA levels were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. Extensive neural suppression of the extrajunctional ColQ expression in regenerating fast muscles during maturation is a very slow process requiring 30-60days. If the immature regenerating fast EDL muscles were indirectly or directly electrically stimulated immediately after innervation by chronic low-frequency impulse pattern for 8days, no significant increase of the extrajunctional ColQ mRNA levels was observed in stimulated regenerates in comparison to non-stimulated ones. In contrast, the extrajunctional ColQ mRNA levels in the regenerates of the soleus muscles, trans-innervated by the EDL nerve at the time of muscle injury, increased 4- to 5-fold after 8days of the same chronic low-frequency electrical stimulation in comparison to those in the stimulated EDL regenerates. Since both fast and slow muscles completely regenerated only from their own myogenic stem cells and were innervated by the same nerve and later activated by the same tonic pattern of impulses, these results demonstrated that the mechanism causing incapacity of regenerating fast muscles to increase their extrajunctional ColQ expression upon tonic activation is encoded in their satellite cells, which in this respect differ from those in the slow muscles.

Although acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is primarily a hydrolytic enzyme, metabolising the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in cholinergic synapses, it also has some non-catalytic functions in the brain which are far less well characterised. AChE was shown to be secreted or shed from the neuronal cell surface like several other membrane proteins, such as the amyloid precursor protein (APP). Since AChE does not possess a transmembrane domain, its anchorage in the membrane is established via the Proline Rich Membrane Anchor (PRiMA), a transmembrane protein. Both the subunit oligomerisation and membrane anchor of AChE are shared by a related enzyme, butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), the physiological function of which in the brain is unclear. In this work, we have assayed the relative activities of AChE and BChE in membrane fractions and culture medium of three different neuronal cell lines, namely the neuroblastoma cell lines SH-SY5Y and NB7 and the mouse basal forebrain cell line SN56. In an effort to understand the shedding process of AChE, we have used several pharmacological treatments, which showed that it is likely to be mediated in part by an EDTA- and batimastat-sensitive, but GM6001-insensitive metalloprotease, with the possible additional involvement of a thiol isomerase. Cellular release of AChE by SH-SY5Y is significantly enhanced by the muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) agonists carbachol or muscarine, with the effect of carbachol blocked by the mAChR antagonist atropine. AChE has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and it has been shown that it accelerates formation and increases toxicity of amyloid fibrils, which have been closely linked to the pathology of AD. In light of this, greater understanding of AChE and BChE physiology may also benefit AD research.

Human paraoxonase-1 (HuPON1) has been proposed as a catalytic bioscavenger of organophosphorus (OP) pesticides and nerve agents. We assessed the potential of this enzyme to protect against OP poisoning using two different paradigms. First, recombinant HuPON1 purified from cabbage loopers (iPON1; Trichoplusia ni) was administered to guinea pigs, followed by exposure to at least 2times the median lethal dose (LD50) of the OP nerve agents tabun (GA), sarin (GB), soman (GD), and cyclosarin (GF), or chlorpyrifos oxon, the toxic metabolite of the OP pesticide chlorpyrifos. In the second model, mice were infected with an adenovirus that induced expression of HuPON1 and then exposed to sequential doses of GD, VX, or (as reported previously) diazoxon, the toxic metabolite of the OP pesticide diazinon. In both animal models, the exogenously added HuPON1 protected animals against otherwise lethal doses of the OP pesticides but not against the nerve agents. Together, the results support prior modeling and in vitro activity data which suggest that wild-type HuPON1 does not have sufficient catalytic activity to provide in vivo protection against nerve agents.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention detected organophosphorus pesticide (OP) metabolites in the urine of 96% of Americans, for urine collected before the ban on nonagricultural use of OP in December 2001. It was not known whether exposure was to OP degradation products or to live OP. Our goal was to determine whether exposure was to live OP in the years 2001, 2003, and 2005. Our test for exposure was the presence of OP adducts on plasma butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) detected by mass spectrometry. We purified three lots of BChE from the pooled plasma of 600-800 individuals each, in the years 2001, 2003, and 2005. Blood donors were healthy adults living in Nebraska and Iowa, two agricultural states that grow corn and soybeans. The purified BChE was tested for the presence of OP adducts on serine 198 using MALDI-TOF/TOF mass spectrometry. Low levels of methoxyphosphate-labeled BChE were found. The amount of adducted BChE was highest (1%) in blood collected in the year 2001 and lowest (0.2%) in blood collected in the year 2005. A negative control sample of BChE purified from cord blood collected in the year 2012 had no detectable adducts. It was concluded that Nebraska and Iowa residents were exposed to very low levels of live, intact organophosphorus pesticides, and that exposure levels in the pooled samples declined after the year 2001.

Lithium is one of the most widely used mood-stabilizing agents for the treatment of bipolar disorder. Lithium is also a potent inhibitor of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta (GSK3beta) activity, which is linked to Alzheimer's disease (AD). In experiments with cultured HEK293T cells, we show here that GSK3beta stabilizes synaptic acetylcholinesterase (AChE-S), a critical component of AD development. Cells treated with lithium exhibited rapid proteasomal degradation of AChE-S. Furthermore treatment of the cells with MG132, an inhibitor of the 26S proteasome, prevented the destabilizing effect of lithium on AChE-S. Taken together, these findings suggest that regulation of AChE-S protein stability may be an important biological target of lithium therapy.

Low volatile organophosphorous nerve agents such as VX, will most likely enter the body via the skin. The pharmacokinetics of drugs such as oximes, atropine and diazepam, are not aligned with the variable and persistent toxicokinetics of the agent. Repeated administration of these drugs showed to improve treatment efficacy compared to a single injection treatment. Because of the effectiveness of continuous treatment, it was investigated to what extent a subchronic pretreatment with carbamate (pyridostigmine or physostigmine combined with either procyclidine or scopolamine) would protect against percutaneous VX exposure. Inclusion of scopolamine in the pretreatment prevented seizures in all animals, but none of the pretreatments affected survival time or the onset time of cholinergic signs. These results indicate that percutaneous poisoning with VX requires additional conventional treatment in addition to the current pretreatment regimen. Decontamination of VX-exposed skin is one of the most important countermeasures to mitigate the effects of the exposure. To evaluate the window of opportunity for decontamination, the fielded skin decontaminant Reactive Skin Decontaminant Lotion (RSDL) was tested at different times in hairless guinea pigs percutaneously challenged with 4x LD50 VX in IPA. The results showed that RSDL decontamination at 15min after exposure could not prevent progressive blood cholinesterase inhibition and therefore would still require additional treatment. A similar decontamination regimen with RSDL at 90min showed that it still might effectively increase the time window of opportunity for treatment. In conclusion, the delay in absorption presents a window of opportunity for decontamination and treatment. The continuous release of VX from the skin presents a significant challenge for efficacious therapy, which should ideally consist of thorough decontamination and continuous treatment.

CollagenQ (ColQ) is a specific collagen that anchors acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the synaptic basal lamina of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). Over 30 mutations in the COLQ gene have been identified that are responsible for a congenital myasthenic syndrome with AChE deficiency, highlighting the importance of this collagen in the physiology of the NMJ. The anchoring of AChE at the synapse requires the interaction of ColQ with MuSK (Muscle-Specific Kinase), a tyrosine kinase expressed on the muscle membrane that is necessary for the formation and the maintenance of the NMJ. MuSK forms with its co-receptor LRP4, a member of the Low-density Related Protein family, a receptor complex for agrin and Wnts, representing the core system from which the postsynaptic domain is built, the growth cone attracted and the presynaptic element instructed for some aspects of its differentiation. Therefore, the discovery that ColQ binds to MuSK prompted us to study a possible regulatory function of ColQ during NMJ development. In this review, after a brief survey on ColQ, we summarize our recent data demonstrating that ColQ, in addition to its anchoring role, exerts signaling functions and controls some aspects of postsynaptic differentiation such as the clustering of acetylcholine receptors. Our results also strengthen the hypothesis that the defects observed in synaptic congenital myasthenic syndromes might be linked, at least in part, to alterations of ColQ signaling functions and not only to AChE deficiency. Finally, we discuss future research directions to understand how ColQ may modulate the action of the other ligands of the MuSK/LRP4 complex and cooperate with them to coordinate the different steps of NMJ formation and maintenance.

Organophosphorus compounds (OPs) and oximes may interfere with other molecules than AChE in the living systems, affecting in this way various cellular processes and underlying mechanisms. These non-cholinergic effects may contribute to the clinical status in OP poisoning and therefore deserve equal scientific attention. Here, we investigated the effects of tabun and oxime K048 on the processes known to be involved in muscle response to the environmental factors, like IL-6 release and the regulation of the heat shock proteins (HSPs). While IL-6 stimulates muscle regeneration, which follows well known OP-induced myopathy, HSPs have cytoprotective effect against various stress factors including xenobiotics. All our experiments were carried out on cultured human myoblasts, as the precursors of muscle regeneration. We found unchanged AChE mRNA level after tabun/K048 treatment meaning that tabun and K048 did not interfere with the transcription or stability of this mRNA in the time period tested, even if AChE catalytic activity was significantly affected. On the other hand, after myoblast exposure to tabun, we observed significant changes in the protein levels of HSP 27 and in the secretion of IL-6. Namely, secretion of IL-6 decreased to 53% and the level of HSP 27 increased by 34% compared to the control level. Both effects were attenuated if myoblasts were pretreated with oxime K048, but not if they were treated with K048 after exposure to tabun. The molecular mechanism underlying these effects remains to be elucidated. However, it seems that these effects could be associated with OPs and oximes as a specific group of compounds rather than as a specific compound itself. Overall, the effects of OPs and oximes demonstrated here might play an important role in muscle regeneration which importantly determines the final outcome of OP myotoxicity.

Variants of human paraoxonase 1 (PON1) are being developed as catalytic bioscavengers for the organophosphorus chemical warfare agents (OP). It is preferable that the new PON1 variants have broad spectrum hydrolase activities to hydrolyze both G- and V-class OPs. H115W PON1 has shown improvements over wild type PON1 in its capacity to hydrolyze some OP compounds. We improved upon these activities either by substituting a tryptophan (F347W) near the putative active site residues for enhanced substrate binding or by reducing a bulky group (Y71A) at the periphery of the putative enzyme active site. When compared to H115W alone, we found that H115W/Y71A and H115W/F347W maintained VX catalytic efficiency but showed mixed results for the capacity to hydrolyze paraoxon. Testing our double mutants against racemic sarin, we observed reduced values of KM for H115W/F347W that modestly improved catalytic efficiency over wild type and H115W. Contrary to previous reports, we show that H115W can hydrolyze soman, and the double mutant H115W/Y71A is nearly 4-fold more efficient than H115W for paraoxon hydrolysis. We also observed modest stereoselectivity for hydrolysis of the P(-) stereoisomer of tabun by H115W/F347W. These data demonstrate enhancements made in PON1 for the purpose of developing an improved catalytic bioscavenger to protect cholinesterase against chemical warfare agents.

Organophosphates (OP) inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE, EC 3.1.1.7), both in peripheral tissues and central nervous system (CNS), causing adverse and sometimes fatal effects due to the accumulation of neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh). The currently used therapy, focusing on the reactivation of inhibited AChE, is limited to peripheral tissues because commonly used quaternary pyridinium oxime reactivators do not cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) at therapeutically relevant levels. A directed library of thirty uncharged oximes that contain tertiary amine or imidazole protonable functional groups that should cross the BBB as unionized species was tested as tabun-hAChE conjugate reactivators along with three reference oximes: DAM (diacetylmonoxime), MINA (monoisonitrosoacetone), and 2-PAM. The oxime RS150D [N-((1-(3-(2-((hydroxyimino)methyl)-1H-imidazol-1-yl)propyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-y l)methyl)benzamide] was highlighted as the most promising reactivator of the tabun-hAChE conjugate. We also observed that oximes RS194B [N-(2-(azepan-1-yl)ethyl)-2-(hydroxyimino)acetamide] and RS41A [2-(hydroxyimino)-N-(2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)ethyl)acetamide], which emerged as lead uncharged reactivators of phosphylated hAChE with other OPs (sarin, cyclosarin and VX), exhibited only moderate reactivation potency for tabun inhibited hAChE. This implies that geometry of oxime access to the phosphorus atom conjugated to the active serine is an important criterion for efficient reactivation, along with the chemical nature of the conjugated moiety: phosphorate, phosphonate, or phosphoramidate. Moreover, modification of the active center through mutagenesis enhances the rates of reactivation. The phosphoramidated-hAChE choline-binding site mutant Y337A showed three-times enhanced reactivation capacity with non-triazole imidazole containing aldoximes (RS113B, RS113A and RS115A) and acetamide derivative (RS194B) than with 2PAM.

Cocaine addiction affects millions of people with disastrous personal and social consequences. Cocaine is one of the most reinforcing of all drugs of abuse, and even those who undergo rehabilitation and experience long periods of abstinence have more than 80% chance of relapse. Yet there is no FDA-approved treatment to decrease the likelihood of relapse in rehabilitated addicts. Recent studies, however, have demonstrated a promising potential treatment option with the help of the serum enzyme butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), which is capable of breaking down naturally occurring (-)-cocaine before the drug can influence the reward centers of the brain or affect other areas of the body. This activity of wild-type (WT) BChE, however, is relatively low. This prompted the design of variants of BChE which exhibit significantly improved catalytic activity against (-)-cocaine. Plants are a promising means to produce large amounts of these cocaine hydrolase variants of BChE, cheaply, safely with no concerns regarding human pathogens and functionally equivalent to enzymes derived from other sources. Here, in expressing cocaine-hydrolyzing mutants of BChE in Nicotiana benthamiana using the MagnICON virus-assisted transient expression system, and in reporting their initial biochemical analysis, we provide proof-of-principle that plants can express engineered BChE proteins with desired properties.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is a most remarkable protein, not only because it is one of the fastest enzymes in nature, but also since it appears in many molecular forms and is regulated by elaborate genetic networks. AChE is expressed in many tissues during development and in mature organisms, as well as in healthy and diseased states. In search for alternative, "non-classical" functions of cholinesterases (ChEs), AChE could either work within the frame of classic cholinergic systems, but in non-neural tissues ("non-synaptic function"), or act non-enzymatically. Here, we review briefly some of the major ideas and advances of this field, and report on some recent progress from our own experimental work, e.g. that (i) non-neural ChEs have pronounced, predominantly enzymatic effects on early embryonic (limb) development in chick and mouse, that (ii) retinal R28 cells of the rat overexpressing synaptic AChE present a significantly decreased cell proliferation, and that (iii) in developing chick retina ACh-synthesizing and ACh-degrading cells originate from the same postmitotic precursor cells, which later form two locally opposing cell populations. We suggest that such distinct distributions of ChAT(+) vs. AChE(+) cells in the inner half retina provide graded distributions of ACh, which can direct cell differentiation and network formation. Thus, as corroborated by works from many labs, AChE can be considered a highly co-opting protein, which can combine enzymatic and non-enzymatic functions within one molecule.

Alpha/beta hydrolases function as hydrolases, lyases, transferases, hormone precursors or transporters, chaperones or routers of other proteins. The amount of structural and functional available data related to this protein superfamily expands exponentially, as does the number of proteins classified as alpha/beta hydrolases despite poor sequence similarity and lack of experimental data. However the superfamily can be rationally divided according to sequence or structural homologies, leading to subfamilies of proteins with potentially similar functions. Since the discovery of proteins homologous to cholinesterases but devoid of enzymatic activity (e.g., the neuroligins), divergent functions have been ascribed to members of other subfamilies (e.g., lipases, dipeptidylaminopeptidase IV, etc.). To study the potentially moonlighting properties of alpha/beta hydrolases, the ESTHER database (for ESTerase and alpha/beta Hydrolase Enzymes and Relatives; http:\/\/bioweb.supagro.inra.fr/esther), which collects, organizes and disseminates structural and functional information related to alpha/beta hydrolases, has been updated with new tools and the web server interface has been upgraded. A new Overall Table along with a new Tree based on HMM models has been included to tentatively group subfamilies. These tools provide starting points for phylogenetic studies aimed at pinpointing the origin of duplications leading to paralogous genes (e.g., acetylcholinesterase versus butyrylcholinesterase, or neuroligin versus carboxylesterase). Another of our goals is to implement new tools to distinguish catalytically active enzymes from non-catalytic proteins in poorly studied or annotated subfamilies.

Cresyl saligenin phosphate (CBDP) is a suspected causative agent of "aerotoxic syndrome", affecting pilots, crew members and passengers. CBDP is produced in vivo from ortho-containing isomers of tricresyl phosphate (TCP), a component of jet engine lubricants and hydraulic fluids. CBDP irreversibly inhibits butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in human plasma by forming adducts on the active site serine (Ser-198). Inhibited BChE undergoes aging to release saligenin and o-cresol. The active site histidine (His-438) was hypothesized to abstract o-hydroxybenzyl moiety from the initial adduct on Ser-198. Our goal was to test this hypothesis. Mass spectral analysis of CBDP-inhibited BChE digested with Glu-C showed an o-hydroxybenzyl adduct (+106amu) on lysine 499, a residue far from the active site, but not on His-438. Nevertheless, the nitrogen of the imidazole ring of free l-histidine formed a variety of adducts upon reaction with CBDP, including the o-hydroxybenzyl adduct, suggesting that histidine-CBDP adducts may form on other proteins.

Certain organophosphorus compounds (OPCs) inhibit various serine esterases (EOHs) via phosphorylation of their active site serines. We focused on 4 EOHs of particular toxicological interest: acetylcholinesterase (AChE: acute neurotoxicity; cognition enhancement), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE: inhibition of drug metabolism and/or stoichiometric scavenging of EOH inhibitors; cognition enhancement), carboxylesterase (CaE: inhibition of drug metabolism and/or stoichiometric scavenging of EOH inhibitors), and neuropathy target esterase (NTE: delayed neurotoxicity, OPIDN). The relative degree of inhibition of these EOHs constitutes the "esterase profile" of an OPC and serves as a major determinant of its net physiological effects. Thus, understanding and controlling the esterase profile of OPC activity and selectivity toward these 4 target enzymes is a significant undertaking. In the present study, we analyzed the inhibitor properties of 52 OPCs against the 4 EOHs, along with pairwise and multitarget selectivities between them, using 2 QSAR approaches: Hansch modeling and Molecular Field Topology Analysis (MFTA). The general formula of the OPCs was (RO)2P(O)X, where R=alkyl, X=- SCH(Hal)COOEt (Hal=Cl, Br), -SCHCl2, -SCH2Br, -OCH(CF3)R(1) (R(1)=C6H5, CF3, COOEt, COOMe). The Hansch model showed that increasing neuropathic potential correlated with rising R hydrophobicity; moreover, OPC binding to scavenger EOHs (BChE and CaE) had different effects on potential acute and delayed neurotoxicity. Predicted protective roles of BChE and CaE against acute toxicity were enhanced with increasing hydrophobicity, but projected protection against OPIDN was decreased. Next, Molecular Field Topology Analysis (MFTA) models were built, considering atomic descriptors, e.g., effective charge, van der Waals radius of environment, and group lipophilicity. Activity/selectivity maps confirmed predictions from Hansch models and revealed other structural factors affecting activity and selectivity. Virtual screening based on multitarget selectivity MFTA models was used to design libraries of OPCs with favorable esterase profiles for potential application as selective inhibitors of CaE without untoward side effects.

Organophosphorus (OP) compounds include a broad group of toxic chemicals such as insecticides, chemical warfare agents and antiwear agents. The liver cytochromes P450 bioactivate many OPs to potent inhibitors of serine hydrolases. Cholinesterases were the first OP targets discovered and are the most studied. They are used to monitor human exposures to OP compounds. However, the assay that is currently used has limitations. The mechanism of action of OP compounds is the inhibition of serine hydrolases by covalently modifying their active-site serine. After structural rearrangement, the complex OP inhibitor-enzyme is irreversible and will remain in circulation until the modified enzyme is degraded. Mass spectrometry is a sensitive technology for analyzing protein modifications, such as OP-adducted enzymes. These analyses also provide some information about the nature of the OP adduct. Our aim is to develop high-throughput protocols for monitoring OP exposures using mass spectrometry.

Administration of oxime therapy is currently the standard approach used to reverse the acute toxicity of organophosphorus (OP) compounds, which is usually attributed to OP inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Rate constants for reactivation of OP-inhibited AChE by even the best oximes, such as HI-6 and obidoxime, can vary >100-fold between OP-AChE conjugates that are easily reactivated and those that are difficult to reactivate. To gain a better understanding of this oxime specificity problem for future design of improved reactivators, we conducted a QSAR analysis for oxime reactivation of AChE inhibited by OP agents and their analogues. Our objective was to identify common mechanism(s) among OP-AChE conjugates of phosphates, phosphonates and phosphoramidates that result in resistance to oxime reactivation. Our evaluation of oxime reactivation of AChE inhibited by a sarin analogue, O-methyl isopropylphosphonofluoridate, or a cyclosarin analogue, O-methyl cyclohexylphosphonofluoridate, indicated that AChE inhibited by these analogues was at least 70-fold more difficult to reactivate than AChE inhibited by sarin or cyclosarin. In addition, AChE inhibited by an analogue of tabun (i.e., O-ethyl isopropylphosphonofluoridate) was nearly as resistant to reactivation as tabun-inhibited AChE. QSAR analysis of oxime reactivation of AChE inhibited by these OP compounds and others suggested that the presence of both a large substituent (i.e., the size of dimethylamine) and an alkoxy substituent in the structure of OP compounds is the common feature that results in resistance to oxime reactivation of OP-AChE conjugates whether the OP is a phosphate, phosphonate or phosphoramidate.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and agrin play unique functional roles in the neuromuscular junction (NMJ). AChE is a cholinergic and agrin a synaptogenetic component. In spite of their different functions, they share several common features: their targeting is determined by alternative splicing; unlike most other NMJ components they are expressed in both, muscle and motor neuron and both reside on the synaptic basal lamina of the NMJ. Also, both were reported to play various nonjunctional roles. However, while the origin of basal lamina bound agrin is undoubtedly neural, the neural origin of AChE, which is anchored to the basal lamina with collagenic tail ColQ, is elusive. Hypothesizing that motor neuron proteins targeted to the NMJ basal lamina share common temporal pattern of expression, which is coordinated with the formation of basal lamina, we compared expression of agrin isoforms with the expression of AChE-T and ColQ in the developing rat spinal cord at the stages before and after the formation of NMJ basal lamina. Cellular origin of AChE-T and agrin was determined by in situ hybridization and their quantitative levels by RT PCR. We found parallel increase in expression of the synaptogenetic (agrin 8) isoform of agrin and ColQ after the formation of basal lamina supporting the view that ColQ bound AChE and agrin 8 isoform are destined to the basal lamina. Catalytic AChE-T subunit and agrin isoforms 19 and 0 followed different expression patterns. In accordance with the reports of other authors, our investigations also revealed various alternative functions for AChE and agrin. We have already demonstrated participation of AChE in myoblast apoptosis; here we present the evidence that agrin promotes the maturation of heavy myosin chains and the excitation-contraction coupling. These results show that common features of AChE and agrin extend to their capacity to play multiple roles in muscle development.

Our immunization strategy introduced recombinant mouse butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) to naive BChE knockout mice. An extraordinarily strong immune reaction gave rise to a whole spectrum of antibodies with different properties. Two selective and highly efficient monoclonal anti-mouse BChE antibodies 4H1 (IgG1) and 4C9 (IgG2a), with Kd values in the nanomolar range were generated. ELISA detected BChE in as little as 20-50nl of mouse plasma using 2mug (4H1) or 4mug (4C9). Both antibodies cross-reacted with BChE in dog plasma but only 4H1 reacted with rat BChE, suggesting that the antibodies are targeted towards different epitopes. Surprisingly, neither recognized human BChE. The anti-mouse BChE antibodies were used in immunohistochemistry analysis of mouse muscle where they specifically stained the neuromuscular junction. The antibodies enable visualization of the BChE protein in the mouse tissue, thus complementing activity assays. They can be used to study a long-lasting question about the existence of mixed acetylcholinesterase/BChE oligomers in mouse tissues. Moreover, monoclonal anti-mouse BChE antibodies can provide a simple, fast and efficient way to purify mouse BChE from small amounts of starting material by using a single-step immunomagnetic bead-based protocol.

Potent organophosphorous (OP) agents, such as VX, are hazardous by absorption through the skin and are resistant to conventional pharmacological antidotal treatments. The residence time of a stoichiometric bioscavenger, human butyrylcholinesterase (huBCHE), in the plasma more closely matches that of VX than do the residence times of conventional therapy drugs (oxime, anti-muscarinic, anticonvulsant). Intramuscular (i.m.) huBCHE afforded almost complete protection when administered prior to the onset of observable cholinergic signs of VX poisoning, but once signs of poisoning became evident the efficacy of i.m. huBCHE decreased. A combination of nerve agent therapy drugs (oxime, anti-muscarinic, anticonvulsant) with huBCHE (i.m.) protected 100% (8/8) of guinea-pigs from a lethal dose of VX (0.74mg/kg) to 48h, even when administered on signs of poisoning. Survival was presumed to be due to immediate alleviation of the cholinergic crisis by the conventional pharmacological treatment drugs, in conjunction with bioscavenger that prevented further absorbed agent reaching the AChE targets. Evidence to support this proposed mechanism of action was obtained from PKPD experiments in which multiple blood samples and microdialysate samples were collected from individual conscious ambulatory animals. Plasma concentrations of intramuscularly-administered atropine, diazepam and HI-6 reached a peak within 15min and were eliminated rapidly within 4h. Plasma concentrations of huBCHE administered by the i.m. route took approximately 24h to reach a peak, but were well-maintained over the subsequent 7days. Thus, the pharmacological therapy rapidly treated the initial signs of poisoning, whilst the bioscavenger provided prolonged protection by neutralising further nerve agent entering the bloodstream and preventing it from reaching the target organs.

Human serum butyrylcholinesterase (HuBChE) is currently the most suitable bioscavenger for the prophylaxis of highly toxic organophosphate (OP) nerve agents. A dose of 200mg of HuBChE is envisioned as a prophylactic treatment that can protect humans from an exposure of up to 2xLD50 of soman. The limited availability and administration of multiple doses of this stoichiometric bioscavenger make this pretreatment difficult. Thus, the goal of this study was to produce a smaller enzymatically active HuBChE polypeptide (HBP) that could bind to nerve agents with high affinity thereby reducing the dose of enzyme. Studies have indicated that the three-dimensional structure and the domains of HuBChE (acyl pocket, lip of the active center gorge, and the anionic substrate-binding domain) that are critical for the binding of substrate are also essential for the selectivity and binding of inhibitors including OPs. Therefore, we designed three HBPs by deleting some N- and C-terminal residues of HuBChE by maintaining the folds of the active site core that includes the three active site residues (S198, E325, and H438). HBP-4 that lacks 45 residues from C-terminus but known to have BChE activity was used as a control. The cDNAs for the HBPs containing signal sequences were synthesized, cloned into different mammalian expression vectors, and recombinant polypeptides were transiently expressed in different cell lines. No BChE activity was detected in the culture media of cells transfected with any of the newly designed HBPs, and the inactive polypeptides remained inside the cells. Only enzymatically active HBP-4 was secreted into the culture medium. These results suggest that residues at the N- and C-termini are required for the folding and/or maintenance of HBP into an active stable, conformation.

We re-visited the results of quantum mechanics - molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approaches aiming to construct the reaction energy profile for the acylation stage of acetylcholine hydrolysis by acetylcholinesterase. The main emphasis of this study was on the energy of the first tetrahedral intermediate (TI) relative to the level of the enzyme-substrate (ES) complex for which contradictory data from different works had been reported. A new series of stationary points on the potential energy surface was calculated by using electronically embedding QM/MM schemes when starting from the crystal structure mimicking features of the reaction intermediate (PDB ID: 2VJA). A thoughtful analysis allows us to conclude that the energy of TI should be lower than that of ES, and a proper treatment of contributions from the oxyanion hole residues accounts for their relative positions.

Within the autonomic system, acetylcholine signaling contributes simultaneously and interactively to cognitive, behavioral, muscle and immune functions. Therefore, manipulating cholinergic parameters such as the activities of the acetylcholine hydrolyzing enzymes in body fluids or the corresponding transcript levels in blood leukocytes can change the global status of the autonomic system in treated individuals. Specifically, cholinesterase activities are subject to rapid and effective changes. The enzyme activity baseline increases with age and body mass index and depends on gender and ethnic origin. Also, the corresponding DNA (for detecting mutations) and RNA (for measuring specific mRNA transcripts) of cholinergic genes present individual variability. In leukocytes, acetylcholine inhibits the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, suggesting relevance of cholinergic parameters to both the basal levels and to disease-induced inflammation. Inversely, acetylcholine levels increase under various stress stimuli, inducing changes in autonomic system molecules (e.g., pro-inflammatory cytokines) which can penetrate the brain; therefore, manipulating these levels can also effect brain reactions, mainly of anxiety, depression and pain. Additionally, neurodegenerative diseases often involve exacerbated inflammation, depression and anxiety, providing a focus interest group for cholinergic manipulations. In Alzheimer's disease, the systemic cholinergic impairments reflect premature death of cholinergic neurons. The decline of cholinesterases in the serum of Parkinson's disease and post- stroke patients, discovery of the relevant microRNAs and the growing range of use of anticholinesterase medications all call for critical re-inspection of established and novel approaches for manipulating cholinergic parameters.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) at the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) is anchored to the synaptic basal lamina via a triple helical collagen Q (ColQ) in the form of asymmetric AChE (AChE/ColQ). The C-terminal domain of ColQ binds to MuSK, the muscle-specific receptor tyrosine kinase, that mediates a signal for acetylcholine receptor (AChR) clustering at the NMJ. ColQ also binds to heparan sulfate proteoglycans including perlecan. Congenital defects of ColQ cause endplate AChE deficiency. A single intravenous administration of adeno-associated virus serotype 8 (AAV8)-COLQ to Colq-/- mice rescued motor functions, synaptic transmission, and the ultrastructure of NMJ. We also injected AAV1-COLQ-IRES-EGFP to the left tibialis anterior and observed colocalization of AChE/ColQ at all the examined NMJs of the non-injected limbs. Additionally, injection of purified recombinant AChE/ColQ protein complex into gluteus maximus accumulated AChE in non-injected forelimbs. These observations suggest that the tissue-targeting signal of ColQ can be exploited to specifically deliver the transgene product to the target tissue. MuSK antibody-positive myasthenia gravis (MG) accounts for 5-15% of autoimmune MG. As AChR deficiency is typically mild and as cholinesterase inhibitors are generally ineffective or worsen myasthenic symptoms, we asked if the patient's MuSK-IgG interferes with binding of ColQ to MuSK. In vitro overlay of AChE/ColQ to muscle sections of Colq-/- mice revealed that MuSK-IgG blocks binding of ColQ to the NMJ. In vitro plate-binding of MuSK to ColQ disclosed that MuSK-IgG exerts a dose-dependent block of MuSK-ColQ interaction. In addition, passive transfer of MuSK-IgG to mice reduced the size and density of ColQ to approximately 10% of controls and had a lesser effect on the sizes and densities of AChR and MuSK. Elucidation of molecular mechanisms of specific binding of ColQ to the NMJ enabled us to ameliorate devastating myasthenic symptoms of Colq-/- mice and to reveal bases of anti-MuSK MG.

In an effort to discover novel catalytic bioscavengers of organophosphorus (OP) nerve agents, cell lysates from a diverse set of bacterial strains were screened for their capacity to hydrolyze the OP nerve agents VX, VR, and soman (GD). The library of bacterial strains was identified using both random and rational approaches. Specifically, two representative strains from eight categories of extremophiles were chosen at random. For the rational approach, the protein sequence of organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) from Brevundimonas diminuta was searched against a non-redundant protein database using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool to find regions of local similarity between sequences. Over 15 protein sequences with significant sequence similarity to OPH were identified from a variety of bacterial strains. Some of these matches were based on predicted protein structures derived from bacterial genome sequences rather than from bona fide proteins isolated from bacteria. Of the 25 strains selected for nerve agent testing, three bacterial strains had measurable levels of OP hydrolase activity. These strains are Ammoniphilus oxalaticus, Haloarcula sp., and Micromonospora aurantiaca. Lysates from A. oxalaticus had detectable hydrolysis of VR; Haloarcula sp. had appreciable hydrolysis of VX and VR, whereas lysates from M. aurantiaca had detectable hydrolysis of VR and GD.

Advantages and limits of the use of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEI) in Alzheimer's disease (AD) are well established. Their effects result from an increase in extracellular acetylcholine (ACh) whose hydrolysis is prevented by cholinesterase inhibition. In this way, the cholinergic deficit which characterizes AD may be corrected. This overview discusses which components of the cognitive process are improved by ChEI administration. In animal experiments, the increase in ACh release, detected in brain areas during behavioral tasks designed to tax attentional processes, demonstrates that an activation of cholinergic neurons underlies arousal and attention. Since arousal and attention depend on activation of the forebrain cholinergic system, it is to be expected that the loss of cholinergic neurons occurring in AD may lead to impairment of the attentional processes. Indeed, a consensus exists that attention is the first non-memory domain to be affected in AD, before deficits in language and visuo-spatial functions. The difficulties with daily living, which occur even in mild AD, may be related to attentional deficits. ChEIs, by restoring the cholinergic activity, should improve attention. If the cognitive changes resulting from ChEI treatment in AD patients are assessed with appropriate tests or selected items of the scales, a predominant effect on attention and executive functions emerges. In a group of 121 subjects with mild to moderate AD, (MMSE score 21.88+/-3.63) followed in the Alzheimer Unit in Florence, after a year of treatment with standard doses of ChEIs, it was observed a stabilization of the disease, characterized by no changes of the tests evaluating attention and executive functions but a worsening of those involving memory mechanisms. These findings suggest that ChEI treatment preserves attention more than memory. Finally, the electrophysiological and neurochemical mechanisms through which the activation of the cholinergic forebrain neurons enhance attention and create the condition for information acquisition are reviewed.

Recently we reported on the characterization of an archaeal member of the amidohydrolase superfamily, namely Sulfolobus acidocaldarius lactonase, showing low but significant and extremely thermostable paraoxonase activity. This enzyme, that we have named SacPox, is a member of the new described family of phosphotriesterase-like lactonases (PLLs). In this family the binuclear metal centre, which is involved in the catalytic machinery, has been poorly studied up to now. In this work we describe the expression of the protein in presence of different metals showing Mn(2+) to support the higher activity. The enzyme has been over-expressed, purified and characterized as a Mn(2+)-containing enzyme by inductive plasma coupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), showing also surprising kinetic differences in comparison with the cadmium-containing enzyme. The Mn(2+) containing enzyme was about 30-fold more efficient with paraoxon as substrate and more stable than the Cd(2+) counterpart, even though the Mn(2+) affinity for the binuclear metal centre is apparently lower. These results increase our knowledge of the biochemical characteristics of SacPox mainly with regard to the metal-ions modulation of function.

A library of more than 200 novel uncharged oxime reactivators was used to select and refine lead reactivators of human acetylcholinesterase (hAChE) covalently conjugated with sarin, cyclosarin, VX, paraoxon and tabun. N-substituted 2-hydroxyiminoacetamido alkylamines were identified as best reactivators and reactivation kinetics of the lead oximes, RS41A and RS194B, were analyzed in detail. Compared to reference pyridinium reactivators, 2PAM and MMB4, molecular recognition of RS41A reflected in its Kox constant was compromised by an order of magnitude on average for different OP-hAChE conjugates, without significant differences in the first order maximal phosphorylation rate constant k2. Systematic structural modifications of the RS41A lead resulted in several-fold improvement with reactivator, RS194B. Kinetic analysis indicated Kox reduction for RS194B as the main kinetic constant leading to efficient reactivation. Subtle structural modifications of RS194B were used to identify essential determinants for efficient reactivation. Computational molecular modeling of RS41A and RS194B interactions with VX inhibited hAChE, bound reversibly in Michaelis type complex and covalently in the pentacoordinate reaction intermediate suggests that the faster reactivation reaction is a consequence of a tighter RS194B interactions with hAChE peripheral site (PAS) residues, in particular with D74, resulting in lower interaction energies for formation of both the binding and reactivation states. Desirable in vitro reactivation properties of RS194B, when coupled with its in vivo pharmacokinetics and disposition in the body, reveal the potential of this oxime design as promising centrally and peripherally active antidotes for OP toxicity.

Organophosphorus nerve agents (OPNAs) are highly toxic compounds that represent a threat to both military and civilian populations. They cause an irreversible inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), by the formation of a covalent P-O bond with the catalytic serine. Among the present treatment of nerve agents poisoning, pyridinium and bis-pyridinium aldoximes are used to reactivate this inhibited enzyme but these compounds do not readily cross the blood brain barrier (BBB) due to their permanent cationic charge and thus cannot efficiently reactivate cholinesterases in the central nervous system (CNS). In this study, a series of seven new uncharged oximes reactivators have been synthesized and their in vitro ability to reactivate VX and tabun-inhibited human acetylcholinesterase (hAChE) has been evaluated. The dissociation constant K(D) of inhibited enzyme-oxime complex, the reactivity rate constant kr and the second order reactivation rate constant k(r2) have been determined and have been compared to reference oximes HI-6, Obidoxime and 2-Pralidoxime (2-PAM). Regarding the reactivation of VX-inhibited hAChE, all compounds show a better reactivation potency than those of 2-PAM, nevertheless they are less efficient than obidoxime and HI-6. Moreover, one of seven described compounds presents an ability to reactivate tabun-inhibited hAChE equivalent to those of 2-PAM.

Neuropathy target esterase (NTE) was discovered by M.K. Johnson in his quest for the entity responsible for the striking and mysterious paralysis brought about by certain organophosphorus (OP) esters. His pioneering work on OP neuropathy led to the view that the biochemical lesion consisted of NTE that had undergone OP inhibition and aging. Indeed, nonaging NTE inhibitors failed to produce disease but protected against neuropathy from subsequently administered aging inhibitors. Thus, inhibition of NTE activity was not the culprit; rather, formation of an abnormal protein was the agent of the disorder. More recently, however, Paul Glynn and colleagues showed that whereas conventional knockout of the NTE gene was embryonic lethal, conditional knockout of central nervous system NTE produced neurodegeneration, suggesting to these authors that the absence of NTE rather than its presence in some altered form caused disease. We now know that NTE is the 6th member of a 9-protein family called patatin-like phospholipase domain-containing proteins, PNPLA1-9. Mutations in the catalytic domain of NTE (PNPLA6) are associated with a slowly developing disease akin to OP neuropathy and hereditary spastic paraplegia called NTE-related motor neuron disorder (NTE-MND). Furthermore, the NTE protein from affected individuals has altered enzymological characteristics. Moreover, closely related PNPLA7 is regulated by insulin and glucose. These seemingly disparate findings are not necessarily mutually exclusive, but we need to reconcile recent genetic findings with the historical body of toxicological data indicating that inhibition and aging of NTE are both necessary in order to produce neuropathy from exposure to certain OP compounds. Solving this mystery will be satisfying in itself, but it is also an enterprise likely to pay dividends by enhancing our understanding of the physiological and pathogenic roles of the PNPLA family of proteins in neurological health and disease, including a potential role for NTE in diabetic neuropathy.

Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is the leading pretreatment candidate against exposure to organophosphates (OPs), which pose an ever increasing public and military health. Since respiratory failure is the primary cause of death following acute OP poisoning, an inhaled BChE therapeutic could prove highly efficacious in preventing acute toxicity as well as the associated delayed neuropathy. To address this, studies have been performed in mice and macaques using Chinese Hamster Ovary cells (CHO)-derived recombinant (r) BChE delivered by the pulmonary route, to examine whether the deposition of both macaque (Ma) and human (Hu) rBChE administered as aerosols (aer) favored the creation and retention of an efficient protective "pulmonary bioshield" that could scavenge incoming (inhaled) OPs in situ thereby preventing entry into the circulation and inhibition of plasma BChE and AChE on red blood cells (RBC-AChE) and in cholinergic synapses. In contrast to parenteral delivery of rBChE, which currently requires posttranslational modification for good plasma stability, an unmodified aer-rBChE pretreatment given 1-40h prior to >1 LD50 of aer-paraoxon (Px) was able to prevent inhibition of circulating cholinesterase in a dose-dependent manner. These studies are the first to show protection by rBChE against a pesticide such as paraoxon when delivered directly into the lung and bode well for the use of a non-invasive and consumer friendly method of rHuBChE delivery as a human treatment to counteract OP toxicity.

Research on cholinesterases and effects of their inhibition in the USSR and Russia since 1930-1940s till present is exposed in historical aspects. The first physiological and toxicological effects of cholinesterase inhibition were reported by Alexander Ginetsinsky during World War II, when academic institutions were evacuated from Leningrad to Kazan. The main scientific schools that initiated research on chemistry, enzymology and physiology of cholinesterases and their inhibitors were leaded by Alexandr and Boris Arbuzovs, Victor Rozengart, Viktor Yakovlev, Michael Michelson, Martin Kabachnik, Mikhail Voronkov, Ivan Knunyants, Alexandr Bretskin and others. They investigated the main physiological effects of cholinesterase inhibitors, and analyzed the catalytic mechanisms of cholinesterases and related enzymes. Their contributions are landmarks in the history of cholinesterase research. At the present time revival of research on cholinesterases in different universities and institutes is vivid, in particular at the Moscow State University, research institutes of Russian Academy of Sciences and Kazan Scientific Center.

The photosensitizer, methylene blue (MB), generates singlet oxygen ((1)O2) that irreversibly inhibits Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase (TcAChE). In the dark MB inhibits reversibly, binding being accompanied by a bathochromic shift that can be used to show its displacement by other reversible inhibitors binding to the catalytic 'anionic' subsite (CAS), the peripheral 'anionic' subsite (PAS), or bridging them. Data concerning both reversible and irreversible inhibition are here reviewed. MB protects TcAChE from thermal denaturation, and differential scanning calorimetry reveals a approximately 8 degrees C increase in the denaturation temperature. The crystal structure of the MB/TcAChE complex reveals a single MB stacked against W279 in the PAS, pointing down the gorge towards the CAS. The intrinsic fluorescence of the irreversibly inhibited enzyme displays new emission bands that can be ascribed to N'-formylkynurenine (NFK); this was indeed confirmed using anti-NFK antibodies. Mass spectroscopy revealed that two Trp residues, Trp84 in the CAS, and Trp279 in the PAS, were the only Trp residues, out of a total of 14, significantly modified by photo-oxidation, both being converted to NFK. In the presence of competitive inhibitors that displace MB from the gorge, their modification is completely prevented. Thus, photo-oxidative damage caused by MB involves targeted release of (1)O2 by the bound photosensitizer within the aqueous milieu of the active-site gorge.

In Alzheimer's disease (AD) a reduction in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and an increase in butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activity are observed. K variant (539T) is the most common variant of the BCHE gene and, although controversial, several studies reported association between K variant and AD. Previous results showed that the K variant alone is not capable of diminishing BChE activity, depending on the presence of the -116A variant. Considering that, we conducted a case-control association study using a clinically well defined group of AD patients (n=82) and age and sex matched control subjects (EC; n=78) in order to test the association with these variations of BCHE gene in a Brazilian population. The allele, genotype and haplotype frequencies of the K and the -116A variants of BCHE gene were not significantly different between cases and controls. Although not reaching statistical significance, the results suggested that the presence of -116A variant may have a protective effect against AD. The association of the K variant with AD in a controversial manner in different surveys is probably caused by its linkage disequilibrium with -116A that, by reducing BChE activity, potentially increases cholinergic transmission in comparison with usual genotypes.

Among the strategies aimed at biocompatible means for organophosphorus nerve agents neutralization, immunoglobulins have attracted attention in the 1990's and 2000's both for their ability to immobilize the toxicants, but also for their ability to be turned into enzymatically active antibodies known as catalytic antibodies or abzymes (antibodies - enzymes). We will present here a critical review of the successive strategies used for the selection of these nerve agent-hydrolyzing abzymes, based on hapten design, namely antibodies raised against a wide variety of transition state analogs, and eventually the strategies based on anti-idiotypic antibodies and reactibodies.

Cholinesterases do not follow the Michaelis-Menten kinetics. In the past, many reaction schemes were suggested to explain their complex interactions during the substrate turnover. Covalent catalysis was recognized very early and therefore, double intermediate traditional reaction scheme for the hydrolysis of good substrates at low concentrations was postulated. However, at intermediate and high substrate concentrations homotropic pseudocooperative effects take place in all cholinesterases, due to the nature of their buried active center. In this study, the significance and usefulness of experimental data obtained at low substrate concentrations, where only one substrate molecule accesses the active site at a time, are to be specified for the overall mechanistic evaluations. Indeed, different interpretations are expected when data are processed with equations derived from different reaction schemes. Consequently, the scheme with two substrate binding sites which comprises the structurally evidenced fully occupied active site as ultimate cause for substantially decreased cholinesterase activity at extremely high substrate concentrations is considered here. A special emphasis is put on butyrylcholinesterase, the enzyme with the largest active site among cholinesterases, where the pseudocooperative effects appear at much higher concentrations than in acetylcholinesterases.

Exogenously administered human serum butyrylcholinesterase (Hu BChE) was demonstrated to function as a bioscavenger of highly toxic organophosphorus (OP) compounds in several animal species. Since the enzyme is isolated from human serum, it is currently the most suitable pretreatment for human use. A dose of 200-300mg/70kg human adult is projected to provide protection from 2 X LD50 of soman. Due to the limited supply of Hu BChE, strategies aimed at reducing the dose of enzyme are being explored. In this study, we investigated the effect of modification with polyethylene glycol (PEG) on the in vivo stability of Hu BChE. Mice were given two injections of either Hu BChE or Hu BChE modified with PEG-5K or PEG-20K, six weeks apart. Pharmacokinetic parameters, such as mean residence time (MRT), maximal concentration (Cmax), elimination half-life (T1/2), and area under the plasma concentration time curve extrapolated to infinity (AUC), were determined. For the first injection, values for MRT, T1/2, Cmax, and AUC for PEG-5K-Hu BChE and PEG-20K-Hu BChE were similar to those for Hu BChE. These values for the second injection of Hu BChE as well as PEG-Hu BChEs were lower as compared to those for the first injections, likely due to antibody-mediated clearance.

In the past four decades of cholinesterase (ChE) research, we have seen substantive evolution of the field from one centered around substrate and inhibitor kinetic profiles and compound characterizations to the analysis of ChE structure, first through the gene families and then by X-ray crystallographic determinations of the free enzymes and their complexes and conjugates. Indeed, these endeavors have been facilitated by recombinant DNA technologies, structure determinations and parallel studies in related proteins in the alpha/beta-hydrolase fold family. This approach has not only contributed to a fundamental understanding of structure and function of a large family of hydrolase-like proteins possessing functions other than catalysis, but also has been used to develop new practical strategies for scavenging and antidotal activity in cases of organophosphate insecticide or nerve agent exposure.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is the biochemical target of organophosphate (OP) and carbamate pesticides for invertebrates, vertebrate nerve agents, and AChE inhibitors used to reduce effects of Alzheimer's disease. Organophosphate pesticides (OPs) are widely used to control blood-feeding arthropods, including biting flies and ticks. However, resistance to OPs in pests affecting animal and human health has compromised control efficacy. OP resistance often results from mutations producing an OP-insensitive AChE. Our studies have demonstrated production of OP-insensitive AChEs in biting flies and ticks. Complementary DNA (cDNA) sequences encoding AChEs were obtained for the horn fly, stable fly, sand fly, and the southern cattle tick. The availability of cDNA sequences enables the identification of mutations, expression and characterization of recombinant proteins, gene silencing for functional studies, as well as in vitro screening of novel inhibitors. The southern cattle tick expresses at least three different genes encoding AChE in their synganglion, i.e. brain. Gene amplification for each of the three known cattle tick AChE genes and expression of multiple alleles for each gene may reduce fitness cost associated with OP-resistance. AChE hydrolyzes the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, but may have additional roles in physiology and development. The three cattle tick AChEs possess significantly different biochemical properties, and are expressed in neural and non-neural tissues, which suggest separation of structure and function. The remarkable complexity of AChEs in ticks suggested by combining genomic data from Ixodes scapularis with our genetic and biochemical data from Rhipicephalus microplus is suggestive of previously unknown gene duplication and diversification. Comparative studies between invertebrate and vertebrate AChEs could enhance our understanding of structure-activity relationships. Research with ticks as a model system offers the opportunity to elucidate structure-activity relationships for AChE that are important for advances in targeted pest control, as well as potential applications for medicine and biosecurity.

Incoherent neutron scattering is one of the most powerful tools for studying dynamics in biological matter. Using the cold neutron backscattering spectrometer IN16 at the Institut Laue Langevin (ILL, Grenoble, France), temperature dependence of cholinesterases' dynamics (human butyrylcholinesterase from plasma: hBChE; recombinant human acetylcholinesterase: hAChE and recombinant mouse acetylcholinesterase: mAChE) was examined using elastic incoherent neutron scattering (EINS). The dynamics was characterized by the averaged atomic mean square displacement (MSD), associated with the sample flexibility at a given temperature. We found MSD values of hAChE above the dynamical transition temperature (around 200K) larger than for mAChE and hBChE, implying that hAChE is more flexible than the other ChEs. Activation energies for thermodynamical transition were extracted through the frequency window model (FWM) (Becker et al. 2004) [1] and turned out to increase from hBChE to mAChE and finally to hAChE, inversely to the MSDs relations. Between 280 and 316K, catalytic studies of these enzymes were carried out using thiocholine esters: at the same temperature, the hAChE activity was systematically higher than the mAChE or hBChE ones. Our results thus suggest a strong correlation between dynamics and activity within the ChE family. We also studied and compared the ChEs thermal inactivation kinetics. Here, no direct correlation with the dynamics was observed, thus suggesting that relations between enzyme dynamics and catalytic stability are more complex. Finally, the possible relation between flexibility and protein ability to grow in crystals is discussed.

Carboxylesterases (CEs) are ubiquitously expressed proteins that are responsible for the detoxification of xenobiotics. They tend to be expressed in tissues likely to be exposed to such agents (e.g., lung and gut epithelia, liver) and can hydrolyze numerous agents, including many clinically used drugs. Due to the considerable structural similarity between cholinesterases (ChE) and CEs, we have assessed the ability of a series of ChE inhibitors to modulate the activity of the human liver (hCE1) and the human intestinal CE (hiCE) isoforms. We observed inhibition of hCE1 and hiCE by carbamate-containing small molecules, including those used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. For example, rivastigmine resulted in greater than 95% inhibition of hiCE that was irreversible under the conditions used. Hence, the administration of esterified drugs, in combination with these carbamates, may inadvertently result in decreased hydrolysis of the former, thereby limiting their efficacy. Therefore drug:drug interactions should be carefully evaluated in individuals receiving ChE inhibitors.

Cholinergic activity has been recognized as a major regulatory component of stress responses after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Centrally acting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors are also being considered as potential therapeutic candidates against TBI mediated cognitive impairments. We have evaluated the expression of molecules involved in cholinergic and inflammatory pathways in various regions of brain after repeated blast exposures in mice. Isoflurane anesthetized C57BL/6J mice were restrained and placed in a prone position transverse to the direction of the shockwaves and exposed to three 20.6psi blast overpressures with 1-30min intervals. Brains were collected at the 6h time point after the last blast exposure and subjected to cDNA microarray and microRNA analysis. cDNA microarray analysis showed significant changes in the expression of cholinergic (muscarinic and nicotinic) and gammaaminobutyric acid and glutamate receptors in the midbrain region along with significant changes in multiple genes involved in inflammatory pathways in various regions of the brain. MicroRNA analysis of cerebellum revealed differential expression of miR-132 and 183, which are linked to cholinergic anti-inflammatory signaling, after blast exposure. Changes in the expression of myeloperoxidase in the cerebellum were confirmed by Western blotting. These results indicate that early pathologic progression of blast TBI involves dysregulation of cholinergic and inflammatory pathways related genes. Acute changes in molecules involved in the modulation of cholinergic and inflammatory pathways after blast TBI can cause long-term central and peripheral pathophysiological changes.

The OrganoTox test is a rapid, point-of-care assay capable of detecting clinically relevant organophosphate (OP) poisoning after low-level exposure to sarin, soman, tabun, or VX chemical nerve agents. The test utilizes either a finger stick peripheral blood sample or plasma specimen. While high-level nerve agent exposure can quickly lead to death, low-level exposure produces vague, nondescript signs and symptoms that are not easily clinically differentiated from other conditions. In initial testing, the OrganoTox test was used to detect the presence of blood protein-nerve agent adducts in exposed blood samples. In order to mimic the in vivo exposure as closely as possible, nerve agents stored in organic solvents were spiked in minute quantities into whole blood samples. For performance testing, 40 plasma samples were spiked with sarin, soman, tabun, or VX and 10 normal plasma samples were used as the negative control. The 40 nerve agent-spiked plasma samples included 10 replicates of each agent. At the clinically relevant low-level exposure of 10ng/ml, the OrganoTox test demonstrated 100% sensitivity for soman, tabun, and VX and 80% sensitivity for sarin. The OrganoTox test demonstrated greater than 97% specificity with 150 blood samples obtained from healthy adults. No cross-reactivity or interference from pesticide precursor compounds was found. A rapid test for nerve agent exposure will help identify affected patients earlier in the clinical course and trigger more appropriate medical management in a more timely manner.

Since Duchenne muscular dystrophy was attributed to mutations in the dystrophin gene, more than 30 genes have been found to be causally related with muscular dystrophies, about half of them encoding proteins of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC). Through laminin-2, the DGC bridges the muscle cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix. Decreased levels of PRiMA-linked acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE) have been observed in dystrophic muscle and nerve of dystrophin-deficient (mdx) and laminin-2 deficient (Lama2dy) mice. To help explain these observations, the relative content of AChE, BCHE and PRiMA mRNAs were compared in normal and Lama2dy mouse muscle and sciatic nerve. The 17-fold lower level of PRiMA mRNA in Lama2dy muscle explained the deficit in PRiMA-linked ChEs. This would increase acetylcholine availability and, eventually, the desensitization of nicotinic receptors. Abnormal development of the Schwann cells led to peripheral neuropathy in the Lama2dy mouse. Compared with normal nerve, dystrophic nerve displayed 4-fold less AChE-T mRNA, 3-fold more BCHE mRNA and 2.5-fold less PRiMA mRNA, which agreed with the lower AChE activity in dystrophic nerve, its increased BCHE activity and the specific drop in PRiMA-linked BCHE. The widely accepted role of glial cells as the source of BCHE, the observed dysmyelination of Lama2dy nerve and its increased BCHE activity support the idea that BCHE up-regulation is related with the aberrant differentiation of the Schwann cells.

Organophosphorus nerve agents irreversibly inhibit cholinesterases. Phosphylation of the catalytic serine can be reversed by the mean of powerful nucleophiles like oximes. But the phosphyl adduct can undergo a rapid spontaneous reaction leading to an aged enzyme, i.e., a conjugated enzyme that is no longer reactivable by oximes. One strategy to regain reactivability is to alkylate the phosphylic adduct. Specific alkylating molecules were synthesized and the crystal structures of the complexes they form with soman-aged human butyrylcholinesterase were solved. Although the compounds bind in the active site gorge of the aged enzyme, the orientation of the alkylating function appears to be unsuitable for efficient alkylation of the phosphylic adduct. However, these crystal structures provide key information to design efficient alkylators of aged-butyrylcholinesterase and specific reactivators of butyrylcholinesterase.

The neuropathologic mechanisms after exposure to lethal doses of nerve agent are complex and involve multiple biochemical pathways. Effective treatment requires drugs that can simultaneously protect by reversible binding to the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and blocking cascades of seizure related brain damage, inflammation, neuronal degeneration as well as promoting induction of neuroregeneration. [-]-Huperzine A ([-]-Hup A), is a naturally occurring potent reversible AChE inhibitor that penetrates the blood-brain barrier. It also has several neuroprotective effects including modification of beta-amyloid peptide, reduction of oxidative stress, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and induction and regulation of nerve growth factor. Toxicities at higher doses restrict the neuroporotective ability of [-]-Hup A for treatment. The synthetic stereoisomer, [+]-Hup A, is less toxic due to poor AChE inhibition and is suitable for both pre-/post-exposure treatments of nerve agent toxicity. [+]-Hup A block the N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-induced seizure in rats, reduce excitatory amino acid induced neurotoxicity and also prevent soman induced toxicity with minimum performance decrement. Unique combinations of two stereo-isomers of Hup A may provide an excellent pre/post-treatment drug for the nerve agent induced seizure/status epilepticus. We investigated a combination of [+]-Hup A with a small dose of [-]-Hup A ([+] and [-]-Hup A) against soman toxicity. Our data showed that pretreatment with a combination [+] and [-]-Hup A significantly increased the survival rate and reduced behavioral abnormalities after exposure to 1.2xLD50 soman compared to [+]-Hup A in guinea pigs. In addition, [+] and [-]-Hup A pretreatment inhibited the development of high power of EEG better than [+]-Hup A pretreatment alone. These data suggest that a combination of [+] and [-]-Hup A offers better protection than [+]-Hup A and serves as a potent medical countermeasure against lethal dose nerve agent toxicity in guinea pigs.

New carbamates that are highly selective for inhibition of Anopheles gambiae acetylcholinesterase (AChE) over the human enzyme might be useful in continuing efforts to limit malaria transmission. In this report we assessed 34 synthesized and commercial carbamates for their selectivity to inhibit the AChEs found in carbamate-susceptible (G3) and carbamate-resistant (Akron) An. gambiae, relative to human AChE. Excellent correspondence is seen between inhibition potencies measured with carbamate-susceptible mosquito homogenate and purified recombinant wild-type (WT) An. gambiae AChE (AgAChE). Similarly, excellent correspondence is seen between inhibition potencies measured with carbamate-resistant mosquito homogenate and purified recombinant G119S AgAChE, consistent with our earlier finding that the Akron strain carries the G119S mutation. Although high (100- to 500-fold) WT An. gambiae vs human selectivity is observed for several compounds, none of the carbamates tested potently inhibits the G119S mutant enzyme. Finally, we describe a predictive model for WT An. gambiae tarsal contact toxicity of the carbamates that relies on inhibition potency, molecular volume, and polar surface area.

Treatment of poisoning by various organophosphorus (OP) nerve agents with established acetylcholinesterase (AChE) reactivators (oximes) is insufficient. In consequence, extensive research programs have been undertaken in various countries in the past decades to identify more effective oximes. The efficacy of new compounds has been investigated with different in vitro and in vivo models which hamper the comparison of results from different laboratories. The crucial mechanism of action of oximes is the reactivation of phosphylated AChE. The kinetic properties of these compounds can be quantified in vitro with isolated AChE from different origin. It was tempting to evaluate the reactivation kinetics of a series of oximes with various OP inhibitors performed under identical experimental conditions in order to get insight into structural requirements for adequate affinity and reactivity towards inhibited AChE. The determination of reactivation rate constants with bispyridinium oximes having different linkers, bearing oxime group(s) at different positions and having in part additional substituents revealed that (a) the reactivating potency was dependent on the position of the oxime groups and of additional substituents, (b) small modifications of the oxime structure had an in part marked effect on the kinetic properties and (c) no single oxime had an adequate reactivating potency with AChE inhibited by structurally different OP. These and previous studies underline the necessity to investigate in detail the kinetic properties of novel oximes and that the identification of a single oxime being effective against a broad range of structurally different OP will remain a major challenge.

It can be argued that an ideal anti-cocaine medication would be one that accelerates cocaine metabolism producing biologically inactive metabolites via a route similar to the primary cocaine-metabolizing pathway, i.e., hydrolysis catalyzed by butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) in plasma. However, wild-type BChE has a low catalytic efficiency against naturally occurring (-)-cocaine. Interestingly, wild-type BChE has a much higher catalytic activity against unnatural (+)-cocaine. According to available positron emission tomography (PET) imaging analysis using [(11)C](-)-cocaine and [(11)C](+)-cocaine tracers in human subjects, only [(11)C](-)-cocaine was observed in the brain, whereas no significant [(11)C](+)-cocaine signal was observed in the brain. The available PET data imply that an effective therapeutic enzyme for treatment of cocaine abuse could be an exogenous cocaine-metabolizing enzyme with a catalytic activity against (-)-cocaine comparable to that of wild-type BChE against (+)-cocaine. Our recently designed A199S/F227A/S287G/A328 W/Y332G mutant of human BChE has a considerably improved catalytic efficiency against (-)-cocaine and has been proven active in vivo. In the present study, we have characterized the catalytic activities of wild-type BChE and the A199S/F227A/S287G/A328 W/Y332G mutant against both (+)- and (-)-cocaine at the same time under the same experimental conditions. Based on the obtained kinetic data, the A199S/F227A/S287G/A328 W/Y332G mutant has a similarly high catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM) against (+)- and (-)-cocaine, and indeed has a catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM=1.84x10(9)M(-1)min(-1)) against (-)-cocaine comparable to that (kcat/KM=1.37x10(9)M(-1)min(-1)) of wild-type BChE against (+)-cocaine. Thus, the mutant may be used to effectively prevent (-)-cocaine from entering brain and producing physiological effects in the enzyme-based treatment of cocaine abuse.

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity has been used to evaluate the exposure of mollusk bivalves to organophosphates, carbamate pesticides, and heavy metals. Crassostrea hongkongensis is a Hong Kong endemic oyster, and has a high commercial value along the coastal area of South China. The use of this species as a bio-indicator of the marine environment, and the use of AChE activity measurements in tissues of C. hongkongensis require prior characterization of AChE in this species. Here, we report that gill tissue contains the highest AChE activity in C. hongkongensis, and that the molecular form of AChE is most likely to be a dimeric form. In addition, the effect of the pesticide acephate on AChE activity in the gill of C. hongkongensis was analyzed, and the mean inhibition concentration (IC50) value was determined. This study suggests that AChE activity in the gill tissue of C. hongkongensis might be used as a biomarker in monitoring organophosphate contamination in the marine fauna of South China.

Organophosphate (OP) pesticides are neurotoxic compounds that are widely used in agriculture. Classical methods for monitoring OP exposure comprise the measurement of intact OP, its metabolites or cholinesterase activity. Newly developed methods focus on the analysis of the OP adduct bound to proteins such as butyrylcholinesterase (BCHE) and albumin. These adducts can be analyzed by means of fluoride reactivation or by analysis with LC-MS/MS of the pepsin or pronase digest of butyrylcholinesterase and albumin, respectively. The utility of these methods is illustrated through the analysis of plasma samples obtained from patients taken 1-49days after ingestion of the organophosphate pesticides chlorpyrifos and/or diazinon. Thus, in this particular case several independent methodologies were applied to the biomedical samples, all pointing to the same exposure.