Hello,
I plan to measure AChE esterase on amphibians and I read that Butyrylcholinesterase can interfere in the measurement.
If I measure the transformation of Acetylcholine iodide, what am I measuring? Acetylcholinesterase activity or both acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterase activities ? Should I measure AChE activity with a BChE inhibitor for stating that I'm measuring AChE?
For me, I should but I've read a lot of articles that don't mention any use of the inhibitors, so I'm a bit confused.
Cheers,
Laurent
There are numerous general esterase's that will hydrolyse butyrilcholine. There is a highly specific AChE that occurs in nervous tissue and in erythrocyte cell walls and may/ may not hydrolyse butyrilcholine ( check literature). The nervous tissue AChE will hydrolyse acetylthiocholine releasing thiocholine which can be measured by assaying for the free SH group of the thiocholine. Any endogenous non-specific AChE esterase activity , such as that which can hydrolyse butyrlcholine or acetylthiocholine, needs to be measured to determine the true specific AChE .
To add to Peter Jackson's well explained answer, if you measure AChE usind acetylthiocholine as a substrate, you do not have to take measurement of butyryl cholinesterase activities into consideration.
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