The specificity of the human erythrocyte cholinesterase.

Abstract 1. 1. The human erythrocyte cholinesterase, hitherto regarded as a highly specific enzyme, has been shown to catalyse the hydrolysis of a large number of non-choline esters. 2. 2. All the acetates investigated have been hydrolysed. The corresponding propionates and formates are attacked less readily, and butyrates very slowly or not at all. 3. 3. In general the more closely the alcohol group simulates the choline configuration, the more rapidly is the ester hydrolysed. Of the substrates investigated, 3 : 3-dimethyl butyl acetate, the carbon analogue of acetyl choline is the most rapidly hydrolysed next to acetyl choline itself. 4. 4. For the differentiation of cholinesterases the terms ‘true’ and ‘pseudo’, or ‘specific’ and ‘non-specific’, as originally defined, are no longer tenable.

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