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Most Acetylcholinesterase Activity of Non-Nervous Tissues and Cells Arises from the AChE-H Transcript

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Abstract

While the functional implications of AChE-T, PRiMA and ColQ have been firmly established, those of glypiated AChE remain uncertain. Insights into the physiological meaning of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-linked AChE-H were gained by comparing nervous and non-nervous tissues for the amount of AChE mRNA variants they contained. PCR showed that AChE-T mRNA prevailed in the mouse brain, spinal cord, sciatic nerve and muscle, and AChE-H mRNA in the bone marrow and thymus, as well as in the human gut. The similar levels of AChE-T and AChE-H mRNAs in mouse liver and human kidney contrasted with the almost exclusive presence of catalytically active AChE-H in both organs. The absence of PRiMA mRNA in liver suggested that the tetramers made of AChE-T fail to bind to the cell membrane and are secreted due to the lack of PRiMA in non-nervous organs. In contrast, glypiated AChE-H is largely and lastingly bound to the cell membrane. Thus, non-synaptic glypiated AChE-H seems to be the counterpart of synaptic PRiMA-linked AChE-T, the former designed for clearing ACh waves, the latter for confronting ACh bursts, and both for helping to protect cells against the harmful effects of durable nicotinic and muscarinic activation.

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Abbreviations

AChE:

Acetylcholinesterase

BuChE:

Butyrylcholinesterase

GPI:

Glycosylphosphatidylinositol

mAChR:

Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor

nAChR:

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor

PIPLC:

Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C

PRiMA:

Proline-rich membrane anchor

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, Universidad de Murcia, Regional Campus of International Excellence “Campus Mare Nostrum”, Murcia, Spain

    María Fernanda Montenegro, Encarnación Muñoz-Delgado, Francisco Javier Campoy & Cecilio J. Vidal

  2. Unidad de Investigación del Servicio de Análisis Clínicos, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Arrixaca, Ctra. Murcia-Cartagena s/n. El Palmar, Murcia, Spain

    Susana Nieto-Cerón & Juan Cabezas-Herrera

  3. Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular-A, Edificio de Veterinaria, Universidad de Murcia, Apdo. 4021, E-30071, Murcia, Spain

    Cecilio J. Vidal

Authors
  1. María Fernanda Montenegro
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  2. Susana Nieto-Cerón
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  3. Juan Cabezas-Herrera
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  4. Encarnación Muñoz-Delgado
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  5. Francisco Javier Campoy
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  6. Cecilio J. Vidal
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Correspondence to Cecilio J. Vidal.

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Montenegro, M.F., Nieto-Cerón, S., Cabezas-Herrera, J. et al. Most Acetylcholinesterase Activity of Non-Nervous Tissues and Cells Arises from the AChE-H Transcript. J Mol Neurosci 53, 429–435 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-013-0172-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12031-013-0172-8

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