Acetylcholinesterase in developing chick embryo brain

Effects of glucocorticoid on brain acetylcholinesterase of developing chick embryos

AIM

Fetal exposure to excessive or deficient glucocorticoids may alter the programming in differentiation and maturation of various tissues including the brain and nervous system, leading to dysfunctions later in life. For further exploration of this possibility, we established an animal model using developing chick embryos.

METHODS

(i) Reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction was used to determine the expression of glucocorticoid receptor mRNA in the brain of chick embryos. (ii) Embryos on day 15 were administered betamethasone or mifepristone and their cerebrum, cerebellum and optic lobe were investigated to determine the activity of acetylcholinesterase.

RESULTS

(i) Glucocorticoid receptor mRNA was shown to be present in the cerebrum, cerebellum and optic lobe. (ii) After the administration of betamethasone, acetylcholinesterase activities in the cerebrum, cerebellum and optic lobe on day 19 were 1.5- to 2-fold higher than those of untreated control. Weights of body and brain parts were 0.65-0.75-fold relative to control values. However, these differences were less noticeable on day 22. (iii) Administration of mifepristone before treatment with betamethasone prevented high-dose betamethasone-induced changes in acetylcholinesterase activity and bodyweights on day 19. Administration of mifepristone alone did not induce differences from the control.

CONCLUSIONS

The cerebrum, cerebellum and optic lobe of chick embryos could be influenced by glucocorticoids because of the presence of glucocorticoid receptor mRNA. Although the effects observed after treatment with excess glucocorticoids (even no effects after mifepristone treatment) were transitory, they may alter the developmental program in ways that could result in lasting change and influence behavioral activities after hatching.

Multiple molecular forms of soluble esterases in the digestive system of the developing chicken

Soluble esterases in tissues of endodermic origin and of various developmental ages of Gallus gallus were analysed by polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis and characterized as carboxylesterases, acetylesterases and cholinesterases. Esterase bands were observed from day 9 in the liver and from day 6 in stomach, intestine and yolk sac. The electrophoretic profiles became more complex after hatching with concomitant increase in the staining intensity. On isoelectric focusing of liver extracts only a major form with pI 5.4 was observed. An eserine sensitive band designated EL-1 was found to be tissue (liver) and age (upon hatching) specific. EL-1-like isozymes were also observed in other species of the Galliformes order.

Brain cholinesterases. Differentiation of target enzymes for toxic organophosphorus compounds

Cholinesterases in hen brain were characterized with respect to inhibition kinetics and substrate specificity. Three organophosphorus inhibitors were used: diethyl p-nitrophenyl phosphate (Paraoxon, E 600), di-isopropylphosphorofluoridate (DFP), and N,N'-di-isopropylphosphorodiamidic fluoride (Mipafox). The kinetics of irreversible cholinesterase inhibition were studied using two substrates, acetylthiocholine and butyrylthiocholine. The inhibition curves were analysed by the method of iterative elimination of exponential functions. Final classification of the different enzymes was done by combining two inhibitors in sequential inhibition expts. Six cholinesterases were shown to hydrolyse choline esters in hen brain, one was identified as acetylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.7) and one as cholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8). Four enzymes can be classified as intermediate type cholinesterases according to their substrate specificity and to their inhibition constants. The possible role of different brain cholinesterases for the development of atypical symptoms following organophosphate intoxication is discussed.

Calcium-binding ribonucleoprotein in developing chick embryo brain: its relationship to the ontogenesis of electrical activity

A calcium-binding ribonucleoprotein, specific to brain, has been shown to increase in quantity with the increase in the age of chick embryo, attaining a plateau around day 12. The increase has a correlation with the onset and maturation of the electrical activity in the developing chick embryo brain.

The multiple forms of brain acetycholinesterase. III. Implications for the histochemical demonstration of acetylcholinesterase

The multiple forms of acetylcholinesterase (AChE, E.C. 3.1.1.7) have been investigated with regard to their histochemical demonstrability. Their pattern is influenced by buffer treatment, fixation, and by incubation conditions causing aggregation and disaggregation as well as loss or inactivation of individual forms. The standard histochemical method for AChE preferentially demonstrates the high molecular forms. Most of the oligomer forms are washed out or inactivated. A selective demonstration of the highly aggregated forms is possible either by inhibition of the oligomers with diisopropylfluoridate (DFP) or by specifically dissolving them out. No reason could be found for the selective demonstration of the low molecular weight forms.

Isolation of synaptic junction-enriched fraction from the forebrain of day-old chickens. Preparation and characterization of chick forebrain subcellular fractions

Synaptosomal plasma membrane (SPM) and other subcellular fractions were isolated from the forebrain of 1-day-old chickens by a procedure based on that of Davis and Bloom (16) and Cotman and Taylor (13). The procedure involves the centrifugation through a discontinuous sucrose gradient of a crude synaptosomal-mitochondrial fraction which has been lysed and weighed with iodonitrotetrazolium. SPM isolated by this method contains only small amounts of lysosomal or mitochondrial membranes and is practically devoid of contaminating microsomal membranes, as estimated by enzyme marker assays. The purity of chick-brain SPM prepared by this method is compared to the purity of chick-brain fractions obtained by two other laboratories, using different methods (4, 59). The SPM were extracted with Triton X-100 and all fractions solubilized in sodium dodecyl sulfate (sds). The delipidated proteins of all fractions were subjected to SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis on slab gels and stained for protein. A distinct difference was observed between the patterns given by the Triton-soluble and -insoluble fractions. Electron microscopy of the synaptic junction fraction showed numerous junctional complexes.

Solubilization of frog brain and retina cholinesterase and studies of different molecular forms

1. The cholinesterase (ChE) of frog brain and retina could be easily solubilized. About 10% of the brain and 20% of the retina ChE were found to be soluble in 0.05 M phosphate buffer. After treatment with 0.5% (v/v) Triton X-100, about 30% of the total ChE activity of the brain and only 10% for retina was left particle bound. NaCl by itself did not solubilize ChE. Use of higher NaCl concentrations in combination with Triton X-100 as well as higher detergent concentrations alone seemed to cause an inhibiting effect of the solubilized ChE from retina. 2. The solubilized ChE from brain as well as retina were electrofocused as one main activity peak, corresponding to isoelectric points of pH 6.1 and 6.0, respectively. A second molecular form at pH 5.9 was distinguishable for the brain, but not for retina ChE. 3. Sucrose gradient centrifugation indicated that the ChE solubilized from the brain and retina consists of two molecular forms exhibiting S values of 5.1 +/- 0.24, 10.9 +/- 0.33 and 6.1 +/- 0.30, 10.9 +/- 0.43, respectively. After solubilization by higher Triton X-100 concentrations the soluble extracts from brain and retina seemed to contain the activity of these forms in different proportions. 4. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis separated three molecular forms of the brain ChE. One of these forms was found to have a molecular weight of 394,000 +/- 20,000. The others were found to have an identical molecular weight of 550,000 +/- 10,000. Two molecular forms exhibiting molecular weights of 292,000 +/- 10,000 and 470,000 +/- 10,000, could be separated for retina.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The multiple forms of brain acetylcholinesterase. II. A suggestion of their functional importance

The pattern of the multiple forms of the acetylocholinesterase (AChE, E.C. 3.1.1.7) of the rat brain is investigated using polyacrylamide gradient micro-gel electrophoresis with regard to a possible functional importance of this individual forms. The patterns of the AChE-forms of selected regions of the CNS are compared and certain differences could be shown. After increased cholinergic input (into the hippocampus by electrical stimulation of the nc. septi medialis) an aggregation of AChE subunits is detectable. Subletal intoxication with an irreversible inhibitor of AChE is followed by a faster recovery of the smaller forms. A suggestion of a possible functional role of the multiple forms of AChE is discussed.

Multiple forms of acetylcholinesterase from pig brain

1. A number of methods of solubilization of pig brain acetylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.7) were studied. The multiple enzymic forms of the resultant preparations were examined by polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis. 2. Butanol extraction, Nagarase treatment and ultrasonication proved unsuitable as preparatory methods, but detergent treatment (Triton X-100, Triton X-100-KCl and lysolecithin) gave good yields. 3. Separation of soluble enzyme in three systems of polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis were compared and the relative advantages are discussed. 4. By using a 6% (w/v) gel and continuous buffer system two forms of acetylcholinesterase were detected in Triton X-100-solubilized enzyme, but the incorporation of a sample and spacer gel and a discontinuous buffer system resolved this into four components. The forms of the soluble enzyme extracted by different methods differed in mobility. 5. With gradient polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis between two and six forms were detected, depending on the method used for extraction. The average molecular weights of the five forms most frequently found were 60000, 130000, 198000, 266000 and 350000. 6. Treatment of the Triton X-100-extracted enzyme with 2.5m-urea altered the pattern and evidence of dissociation was observed. 7. The results are discussed in the light of present theories on the molecular structure of acetylcholinesterase.