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Anti‐acetylcholinesterase antibodies display cholinesterase‐like activity
Author(s) -
Johnson Glynis,
Moore Samuel W.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
european journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.272
H-Index - 201
eISSN - 1521-4141
pISSN - 0014-2980
DOI - 10.1002/eji.1830250106
Subject(s) - acetylthiocholine , acetylcholinesterase , polyclonal antibodies , cholinesterase , antibody , monoclonal antibody , biology , aché , antigen , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , enzyme , substrate (aquarium) , immunology , endocrinology , ecology
Abstract A monoclonal antibody (mAb) raised against human acetylcholinesterase (AChE) was found to have catalytic activity. A similar phenomenon was observed in a polyclonal antibody raised against the same antigen. The antibodies were demonstrated to be pure, and no contamination with either AChE or butyryl‐cholinesterase was found. Both antibodies hydrolyzed acetylthiocholine, an AChE substrate, and the mAb followed Michaelis‐Menten kinetics. Six other mAb and one other polyclonal antibody showed no evidence of catalytic activity. This development of cholinesterase‐like behavior by certain anti‐AChE antibodies may have arisen by stable complexation of the enzyme with a substrate or inhibitor during antigen presentation. This phenomenon may have implications for the diagnostic measurement of AChE activity as well as in assessing the immunological reasons for the markedly raised AChE level in developmental conditions such as Hirschsprung's disease.