Characterization of acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase forms in normal and dystrophic Lama2dy mouse heart

In searching for possible differences in acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) forms of dystrophic heart, the properties of ChE species in normal (NH) and dystrophic Lama2dy mouse heart (DH) were investigated. BuChE predominated over AChE. Loosely‐ and tightly‐bound ChEs were released with saline (extract S1) and saline‐Triton X‐100 buffers (S2). About 50% of AChE, and 25% of BuChE, in NH or DH was measured in S1, and the rest in S2. Asymmetric AChE forms A12 (15%) and A8 (11%), globular hydrophilic G  4H (8%), amphiphilic G  4A (15%), and G  2A + G  1A (51%) AChE species, and BuChE forms G  4H (13%), G  4A (3%), and G  2A  + G  1A (84%) were identified in NH and DH. Most of the asymmetric and G  4A AChE species were bound to Triticum vulgaris (WGA) or Ricinus communis (RCA) agglutinins. About half of G  4H and G  2A  + G  1A AChE were bound to WGA, and less (10%) to RCA. Variable amounts of G  4H  + G  4A (60%), and G  2A  + G  1A (75%) BuChE bound to WGA, and 50 and 10% to RCA. The lack of structural differences between ChE species in NH and DH indicates that, in contrast to the ChE forms in mouse skeletal muscle, the biosynthesis of ChE components in heart is not disturbed by dystrophy. J. Neurosci. Res. 56:295–306, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.