Amino acid residues involved in the interaction of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase with the carbamates Ro 02-0683 and bambuterol, and with terbutaline. (9/406)

In order to identify amino acids involved in the interaction of acetylcholinesterase (AChE; EC 3.1.1.7) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE; EC 3.1.1.8) with carbamates, the time course of inhibition of the recombinant mouse enzymes BChE wild-type (w.t.), AChE w.t. and of 11 site-directed AChE mutants by Ro 02-0683 and bambuterol was studied. In addition, the reversible inhibition of cholinesterases by terbutaline, the leaving group of bambuterol, was studied. The bimolecular rate constant of AChE w.t. inhibition was 6.8 times smaller by Ro 02-0683 and 16000 times smaller by bambuterol than that of BChE w.t. The two carbamates were equipotent BChE inhibitors. Replacement of tyrosine-337 in AChE with alanine (resembling the choline binding site of BChE) resulted in 630 times faster inhibition by bambuterol. The same replacement decreased the inhibition by Ro 02-0683 ten times. The difference in size of the choline binding site in the two w.t. enzymes appeared critical for the selectivity of bambuterol and terbutaline binding. Removal of the charge with the mutation D74N caused a reduction in the reaction rate constants for Ro 02-0683 and bambuterol. Substitution of tyrosine-124 with glutamine in the AChE peripheral site significantly increased the inhibition rate for both carbamates. Substitution of phenylalanine-297 with alanine in the AChE acyl pocket decreased the inhibition rate by Ro 02-0683. Computational docking of carbamates provided plausible orientations of the inhibitors inside the active site gorge of mouse AChE and human BChE, thus substantiating involvement of amino acid residues in the enzyme active sites critical for the carbamate binding as derived from kinetic studies.  (+info)

Interaction between the peripheral site residues of human butyrylcholinesterase, D70 and Y332, in binding and hydrolysis of substrates. (10/406)

Human butyrylcholinesterase displays substrate activation with positively charged butyrylthiocholine (BTC) as the substrate. Peripheral anionic site (PAS) residues D70 and Y332 appear to be involved in the initial binding of charged substrates and in activation control. To determine the contribution of PAS residues to binding and hydrolysis of quaternary substrates and activation control, the single mutants D70G/Y and Y332F/A/D and the double mutants Y332A/D70G and Y332D/D70Y were studied. Steady-state hydrolysis of the charged substrates, BTC and succinyldithiocholine, and the neutral ester o-nitrophenyl butyrate was measured. In addition, inhibition of wild-type and mutant enzymes by tetramethylammonium was investigated, at low concentrations of BTC. Single and double mutants of D70 and Y332 showed little or no substrate activation, suggesting that both residues were important for activation control. The effects of double mutations on D70 and Y332 were complex. Double-mutant cycle analysis provided evidence for interaction between these residues. The category of interaction (either synergistic, additive, partially additive or antagonistic) was found to depend on the nature of the substrate and on measured binding or kinetic parameters. This complexity reflects both the cross-talk between residues involved in the sequential formation of productive Michaelian complexes and the effect of peripheral site residues on catalysis. It is concluded that double mutations on the PAS induce a conformational change in the active site gorge of butyrylcholinesterase that can alter both substrate binding and enzyme acylation.  (+info)

Evaluation of polymorphisms in the presenilin-1 gene and the butyrylcholinesterase gene as risk factors in sporadic Alzheimer's disease. (11/406)

The E4 allele of the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) is a major risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (LOAD) but is neither necessary nor sufficient to cause the disease. In this study, we investigated polymorphisms in the presenilin-1 (PS-1), and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) genes, which have been implicated as risk factors for LOAD. Our data-set comprised 177 AD and 118 control patients, all of whom had been histopathologically confirmed following autopsy. We have tested homozygosity for the PS-1 allele 1 and possession of the BChE-K variant in association with APOE epsilon4 as risk factors in LOAD. Our findings support an association between the PS-1 polymorphism and LOAD, finding homozygosity for allele 1 associated with an approximately two-fold increased risk. Our data also show that in subjects greater than 75 years of age possession of both BChE-K and APOE-epsilon4 alleles is associated with an increased risk of LOAD, whilst the risk associated with APOE-epsilon4 allele alone is not significant.  (+info)

Differential effect of pressure and temperature on the catalytic behaviour of wild-type human butyrylcholinesterase and its D70G mutant. (12/406)

The combined action of temperature (10-35 degrees C) and pressure (0. 001-2 kbar) on the catalytic activity of wild-type human butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) and its D70G mutant was investigated at pH 7.0 using butyrylthiocholine as the substrate. The residue D70, located at the mouth of the active site gorge, is an essential component of the peripheral substrate binding site of BuChE. Results showed a break in Arrhenius plots of wild-type BuChE (at Tt approximately 22 degrees C) whatever the pressure (dTt/dP = 1.6 +/- 1.5 degrees C.kbar-1), whereas no break was observed in Arrhenius plots of the D70G mutant. These results suggested a temperature-induced conformational change of the wild-type BuChE which did not occur for the D70G mutant. For the wild-type BuChE, at around a pressure of 1 kbar, an intermediate state, whose affinity for substrate was increased, appeared. This intermediate state was not seen for the mutant enzyme. The wild-type BuChE remained active up to a pressure of 2 kbar whatever the temperature, whereas the D70G mutant was found to be more sensitive to pressure inactivation (at pressures higher than 1.5 kbar the mutant enzyme lost its activity at temperatures lower than 25 degrees C). The results indicate that the residue D70 controls the conformational plasticity of the active site gorge of BuChE, and is involved in regulation of the catalytic activity as a function of temperature.  (+info)

Hydration change during the aging of phosphorylated human butyrylcholinesterase: importance of residues aspartate-70 and glutamate-197 in the water network as probed by hydrostatic and osmotic pressures. (13/406)

Wild-type human butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) and Glu-197-->Asp and Asp-70-->Gly mutants (E197D and D70G respectively) were inhibited by di-isopropyl phosphorofluoridate under standard conditions of pH, temperature and pressure. The effect of hydrostatic and osmotic pressures on the aging process (dealkylation of an isopropyl chain) of phosphorylated enzymes [di-isopropylated (DIP)-BuChE] was investigated. Hydrostatic pressure markedly increased the rate of aging of wild-type enzyme. The average activation volume (DeltaV( not equal)) for the dealkylation reaction was -170 ml/mol for DIP wild-type BuChE. On the other hand, hydrostatic pressure had little effect on the aging of the DIP mutants (DeltaV( not equal)=-2.6 ml/mol for E197D and -2 ml/mol for D70G), suggesting that the transition state of the aging process was associated with an extended hydration and conformational change in wild-type BuChE, but not in the mutants. The rate of aging of wild-type and mutant enzymes decreased with osmotic pressure, allowing very large positive osmotic activation volumes (DeltaV not equal osm) to be estimated, thus probing the participation of water in the aging process. Molecular dynamics simulations performed on the active-site gorge of the wild-type DIP adduct showed that the isopropyl chain involved in aging was highly solvated, supporting the idea that water is important for stabilizing the transition state of the dealkylation reaction. Wild-type BuChE was inhibited by soman (pinacolyl methylphosphonofluoridate). Electrophoresis performed under high pressure [up to 2.5 kbar (1 bar=10(5) Pa)] showed that the soman-aged enzyme did not pass through a pressure-induced, molten-globule transition, unlike the native wild-type enzyme. Likewise, this transition was not seen for the native E197D and D70G mutants, indicating that these mutants are resistant to the penetration of water into their structure. The stability energetics of native and soman-aged wild-type BuChE were determined by differential scanning calorimetry. The pH-dependence of the midpoint transition temperature of endotherms indicated that the high difference in stabilization energy between aged and native BuChE (DeltaDeltaG=23.7 kJ/mol at pH 8.0) is mainly due to the salt bridge between protonated His-438 and PO(-), with pK(His-438)=8.3. A molecular dynamics simulation on the MIP adduct showed that there is no water molecule around the ion pair. The 'hydrostatic versus osmotic pressure' approach probed the importance of water in aging, and also revealed that Asp-70 and Glu-197 are the major residues controlling both the dynamics and the structural organization of the water/hydrogen-bond network in the active-site gorge of BuChE. In wild-type BuChE both residues function like valves, whereas in the mutant enzymes the water network is slack, and residues Gly-70 and Asp-197 function like check valves, i.e. forced penetration of water into the gorge is not easily achieved, thereby facilitating the release of water.  (+info)

The mechanism for the inhibition of acetylcholinesterases by irinotecan (CPT-11). (14/406)

Irinotecan (CPT-11) is an anticancer drug that occasionally produces acute cholinergic side effects. Preliminary findings suggest that these are mediated through the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). In this study, the inhibition of various AChEs by CPT-11 was studied. The lactone form of CPT-11 resulted in apparent noncompetitive inhibition of electric eel and both human recombinant and erythrocyte AChE with K(i) values of 0.065, 0.19, and 0.29 microM, respectively. The carboxylate form of CPT-11 was approximately 10 times less potent. Apparent noncompetitive inhibition of AChE may arise through several mechanisms, and those relevant to CPT-11 were identified from key experimental findings. First, the inhibition by CPT-11 was found to be instantly reversible in dilution studies. Second, incubation of the enzyme with CPT-11 before the introduction of neostigmine protected the enzyme from inactivation. Third, regeneration of the active enzyme after preincubation with neostigmine was totally suppressed by the addition of 2 microM CPT-11, indicating that CPT-11 is a potent inhibitor of decarbamoylation and, by inference, deacylation. Additional experiments with tacrine revealed functional differences between these two inhibitors. Also, preliminary molecular modeling of the interaction between AChE and CPT-11 indicated that the latter does not bind at the same site as tacrine. Displacement studies with the peripheral site-specific ligand, propidium, confirmed that CPT-11 binds at this site. The rapid reversibility of the inhibition of AChE by CPT-11 and the lower activity of the carboxylate form are likely reasons for the transient nature of the cholinergic toxicity observed clinically.  (+info)

Effects of persistent selective suppression of ganglionic butyrylcholinesterase on steady state and regenerating levels of acetylcholinesterase: implications regarding function of butyrylcholinesterase and regulation of protein synthesis. (15/406)

Persistent selective suppression of the butyrylcholinesterase (cholinesterase; acylcholine acyl-hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.8) activity of the superior cervical, stellate, and ciliary ganglia of cats by the daily administration of tetramonoisopropyl pyrophosphortetramide, 3.0 mumol/kg, intravenously, for 6 days produced a significant elevation in the levels of ganglionic acetylcholinesterase (acetylcholine hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.7). When the same procedure was preceded by the inactivation of over 95% of the ganglionic acetylcholinesterase by sarin, 2.0 mumol/kg, intravenously, the rate of regeneration of acetylcholinesterase was decreased. Results are interpreted as evidence that ganglionic butyrylcholinesterase may serve as a precursor to acetylcholinesterase, and that the level of butyrylcholinesterase may regulate the rate of acetylcholinesterase synthesis.  (+info)

Butyrylcholinesterase accelerates cocaine metabolism: in vitro and in vivo effects in nonhuman primates and humans. (16/406)

Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is known to metabolize cocaine in humans. In the present study, three different experiments were performed to determine whether the addition of horse serum-derived BChE would accelerate the metabolism of cocaine. In the first experiment, the addition of BChE to squirrel monkey plasma in vitro reduced the half-life of cocaine by over 80%, decreased the production of the metabolic product benzoylecgonine, and increased ecgonine methyl ester formation. The effect of BChE on cocaine metabolism was reversed by a specific BChE inhibitor. In the second, in vivo, experiment, exogenously administered BChE reduced peak cocaine concentrations when given to anesthetized squirrel monkeys. Finally, incubation of cocaine with added BChE in human plasma in vitro resulted in a decrease in cocaine half-life similar to that observed with squirrel monkey plasma. The magnitude of the decrease in cocaine half-life was proportional to the amount of added BChE. Together, these results indicate that exogenously administered BChE can accelerate cocaine metabolism in such a way as to potentially lessen the behavioral and toxic effects of cocaine. Therefore, BChE may be useful as a treatment for cocaine addiction and toxicity.  (+info)