Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: EC:3.1.1.7 (acetylcholinesterase)
28,390 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

An hypothesis regarding the pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is presented, which places emphasis on extraneural cells. Classical experimental denervation is compared and contrasted with motor neuron disease, both from information in the literature as well as concepts deriving from the hypothesis. Background information regarding neuromuscular junction-specific (16S) acetylcholinesterase and a basal lamina-enriched surface glycoprotein (fibronectin) are presented, which suggest not only their mutual interaction, but likely parallel regulation on muscle cell surfaces by the motor nerve. Since 16S acetylcholinesterase likely contains basal lamina-type collagen and fibronectin specifically associates with collagen, a model relating activation of latent collagenase enzyme in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is described. It is suggested that continued degeneration, including transneuronal effects, of the motor system ensues from random, continuous loss of nerve-muscle adherence resulting from collagen resorption at the neuromuscular junction.
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PMID:Neuromuscular junction macromolecules in the pathogenesis of amyotrophic leteral sclerosis. 624 44

Each vertebrate skeletal muscle fiber is ensheathed by a basal lamina (BL) which passes through the synaptic cleft of the neuromuscular junction. In the adult, the synaptic portion of the BL is both functionally and chemically specialized. We have used an immunofluorescence method to compare the development of synaptic and extrasynaptic portions of BL in embryonic rat intercostal muscles. Immunohistochemical staining of adult muscle fibers with monoclonal and serum antibodies defines "synaptic" antigens (including acetylcholinesterase) that are concentrated in synaptic BL, "extrasynaptic" antigens that are concentrated in extrasynaptic regions, and "shared" antigens (including collagen IV, fibronectin, laminin, and a heparan sulfate proteoglycan) that are present in both synaptic and extrasynaptic BL ( Sanes and Chiu , 1983). Synapses appear on newly formed myotubes on embryonic Day 14 (E14; birth is on E22 ). Patches of BL that contain shared and extrasynaptic antigens are present on myotube surfaces by E15, and BL forms a continuous sheath by E17. Shared antigens are present at but not confined to synaptic areas by E15. Two synaptic antigens appear in synaptic areas a day later, and are not detectable extrasynaptically . At least one extrasynaptic antigen is present at immature synapses, and lost or masked by E19 . Thus synaptic BL is not assembled as a unit; rather, components are added, lost, or modified as synaptogenesis proceeds.
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PMID:Development of basal lamina in synaptic and extrasynaptic portions of embryonic rat muscle. 637 47

Analysis of various platelet proteins by immunofluorescence demonstrated that platelet glycoproteins Ib, IIb, and IIIa, as well as plasma factor VIII antigen (factor VIII:AGN), platelet factor 4, and fibronectin are present in the vast majority of morphologically recognizable megakaryocytes. In addition, a small number of lymphoid-like mononuclear marrow cells, representing approximately 1.4--2.9/10(4) marrow cells, was found to express the same platelet proteins. This population of early marrow megakaryocytes is analogous to small acetylcholinesterase-positive rat and mouse marrow cells. Fc receptors for IgG were expressed in all megakaryocytes and megakaryocyte precursors, whereas the Ia antigen was detected only on a proportion of mature megakaryocytes and not on only early or precursor megakaryocytes. Platelet glycoproteins Ib, IIb, and IIIa, as well as factor VIII:AGN, and platelet factor 4 were established as distinct markers for marrow megakaryocytes and may be helpful for identifying megakaryocytic cells as well as for monitoring events of megakaryocyte differentiation.
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PMID:Human megakaryocytes. II. Expression of platelet proteins in early marrow megakaryocytes. 678 94

In view of their supposed localization in extracellular structures, such as basal lamina, we have investigated the possible interactions of collagen-tailed forms of acetylcholinesterase from Electrophorus and bovine superior cervical ganglion with matrix proteins: laminin, fibronectin and types IV and V collagens. Using binding and sedimentation assays, with iodinated or non-radioactive matrix proteins, we have not observed any significant interaction, in conditions of high or low ionic strength. We also examined whether the collagen tail of acetylcholinesterase asymmetric forms possessed an immunological relationship with known collagen types (I, III, IV, V) from mammalian sources. We found no specific immunoreactivity with any of the 32 sera studied, either with the iodinated Electrophorus or with the native bovine enzyme. We conclude from these negative results that the collagen-like tail of acetylcholinesterase is clearly distinct from the classical types of collagen and that asymmetric forms of the enzyme do not interact specifically with the matrix proteins studied. This does not exclude the possibility of specific interactions with other components, remaining to be identified.
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PMID:Relationship of collagen-tailed acetylcholinesterase with basal lamina components. Absence of binding with laminin, fibronectin, and collagen types IV and V and lack of reactivity with different anti-collagen sera. 685 32

Previous studies have indicated that the asymmetric form of acetylcholinesterase is localized in the basement membrane zone of the neuromuscular junction. We find that the collagenous subunit of the enzyme is required for interactions with basement membrane components. Acetylcholinesterase (the A12 form) binds best to the basement membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan and type V collagen, to a lesser extent to laminin, fibronectin, and type I collagen, but not to type IV collagen. In addition, the purified A12 enzyme as prepared from electric eel is associated with a heparan sulfate-like component which appears to be responsible for the aggregation of the enzyme at low ionic strength. We observed that the purified form of the enzyme reacted with antibodies to type V collagen, and to a lesser extent with anti-type I collagen antibody, but not with anti-type IV collagen antibody. These data suggest that the collagenous subunit of the enzyme may have some similarity to type V collagen and that the interaction of the collagenous subunit with a heparan sulfate proteoglycan may be involved in its binding to basement membrane in the neuromuscular junction.
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PMID:Interactions of asymmetric forms of acetylcholinesterase with basement membrane components. 686 10

The fusion of mononucleate myoblast cells into multinucleate myotubes (myogenesis) has often been studied as a model system of terminal cellular differentiation. Although cell-surface changes during myogenesis have attracted much attention and a variety of surface antigens including the nicotinic cholinergic receptor, acetylcholinesterase and muscle lectins have been shown to be present on muscle cells, a detailed identification of markers specific to the various cell types has not been attempted. This is mainly because fibroblasts are a major contaminating cell type in primary muscle cultures and these cells have no known distinctive cell-surface antigen(s). For instance, surface fibronectin has been used to distinguish fibroblasts in the rat peripheral nervous system in vitro but has proved ineffective in the human muscle cell system. In addition, Lesley and Lennon found that Thy-1 antigen was present on myoblasts but not myotubes of the rat L6 muscle cell line and primary cultures. However, Thy-1 antigen is also present on rat fibroblasts. Thus, unequivocal identification of the major mononucleate cell types in muscle cultures, fibroblasts and myoblasts has not been possible. We report here the use of two surface antigens, Thy-1 and a muscle-specific antigen recognized by a monoclonal antibody, to identify unambiguously the four major types of cells present in human muscle cultures and to propose a model of cell-surface differentiation during human myogenesis.
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PMID:Surface antigen differentiation during human myogenesis in culture. 696 55

The similarities between the tail of asymmetric acetylcholinesterase (AcChE) and collagen prompted us to investigate if asymmetric AcChE, like collagen, can interact with fibronectin. Gradient centrifugation studies revealed that asymmetric, but not globular, AcChE bound to fibronectin and could be cross-linked covalently to fibronectin by plasma transglutaminase. The interaction of asymmetric AcChE with fibronectin paralleled the interaction of fibronectin with collagen. These results raise the possibility that fibronectin may be involved in attaching asymmetric AcChE to cell surfaces.
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PMID:Cross-linking and binding of fibronectin with asymmetric acetylcholinesterase. 724 81

We have studied the influence of the extracellular matrix (ECM) on the amount of beta-amyloid precursor protein (APP) and C-terminal amyloid-bearing fragments in 313 fibroblasts. After incubation with ECM components, the cellular APP content of 3T3 cells changed. Besides, different substrata including collagen, fibronectin, laminin, vitronectin, and heparin, determined changes in the amount of a C-terminal 22 kDa-fragment. The regulation of amyloidogenic fragments by the ECM was transient; in fact, when 3T3 cells were plated on tissue culture dishes coated with collagen or vitronectin, maximal levels of the 22 kDa fragment were observed 12 h after plating; in the presence of fibronectin, the maximum level of the amyloidogenic fragment was obtained 36 h after plating. These results indicate that the ECM modulates in a transient way the generation of APP-derived polypeptides containing the amyloid-beta-peptide (A beta). The ECM does not have a generalized effect on 3T3 fibroblasts, because no significant differences in cell attachment, growth rate, whole-cell polypeptide pattern beta 1 integrin and alpha-tubulin levels were observed on cells grown on various matrix proteins. Laminin, collagen, and heparin also influence the level of an amyloidogenic fragment of 35 kDa in Neuro 2A neuronal cells, without a significant change in the neuronal marker acetylcholinesterase. In this case, however, a long-lasting response to ECM molecules was observed. These observations provide evidence that ECM molecules influence APP biogenesis, including the generation of amyloidogenic fragments containing the A beta peptide. Our studies might prove significant to understand the localized increment of beta-amyloid deposition in selected areas of the brain of Alzheimer's patients.
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PMID:Extracellular matrix regulates the amount of the beta-amyloid precursor protein and its amyloidogenic fragments. 859 96

Skeletal muscle cells are a useful model for studying cell differentiation. Muscle cell differentiation is marked by myoblast proliferation followed by progressive fusion to form large multinucleated myotubes that synthesize muscle-specific proteins and contract spontaneously. The molecular analysis of myogenesis has advanced with the identification of several myogenic regulatory factors, including myod1, myd, and myogenin. These factors regulate each other's expression and that of muscle-specific proteins such as the acetylcholine receptor and acetylcholinesterase (AChE). In order to investigate the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) in myogenesis we have cultured myoblasts (C2C12) in the presence or absence of an exogenous ECM (Matrigel). In addition, we have induced differentiation of myoblasts in the presence or absence of Matrigel and/or chlorate, a specific inhibitor of proteoglycan sulfation. Our results indicated that the formation of fused myotubes and expression of AChE was stimulated by Matrigel. Treatment of myoblasts induced to differentiate with chlorate resulted in an inhibition of cell fusion and AChE activity. Chlorate treatment was also found to inhibit the deposition and assembly of ECM components such fibronectin and laminin. The expression of myogenin mRNA was observed when myoblasts were induced to differentiate, but was unaffected by the presence of Matrigel or by culture of the cells in the presence of chlorate. These results suggest that the expression of myogenin is independent of the presence of ECM, but that the presence of ECM is essential for the formation of myotubes and the expression of later muscle-specific gene products.
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PMID:Extracellular matrix is required for skeletal muscle differentiation but not myogenin expression. 884 3

When compared with 67 age- and sex-matched normal weight control subjects, the 71 overweight patients displayed obviously higher levels of plasma fibronectin. For a similar body mass index (BMI) the 16 overweight men younger than 45 years had a significantly (P < 0.01) higher plasma fibronectin level (455 +/- 99.3 mg/l; mean +/- SD) than the 16 age-matched overweight women (351 +/- 105 mg/l) while there was no significant difference between the 22 overweight men (446 +/- 89.2 mg/l) and the 17 overweight women (475 +/- 111 mg/l) older than 45 years. Particularly high plasma fibronectin levels were noted in the five women with upper body (android) obesity. Plasma fibronectin was positively correlated with BMI, serum triglyceride concentration, plasma fibrinogen and serum cholinesterase activity. It is considered that metabolic disturbances related to upper body obesity may lead to an enhanced hepatic secretion of VLDL and of several plasma proteins including fibronectin.
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PMID:Plasma fibronectin in overweight men and women: correlation with serum triglyceride levels and serum cholinesterase activity. 903 58


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