Amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae) cholinesterase 2 (ChE2) hydrolyzes acetylthiocholine (AsCh) almost exclusively. We constructed a homology model of ChE2 on the basis of Torpedo californica acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and found that the acyl pocket of the enzyme resembles that of Drosophila melanogaster AChE, which is proposed to be comprised of Phe330 (Phe290 in T. californica AChE) and Phe440 (Val400), rather than Leu328 (Phe288) and Phe330 (Phe290), as in vertebrate AChE. In ChE2, the homologous amino acids are Phe312 (Phe290) and Phe422 (Val400). To determine if these amino acids define the acyl pocket of ChE2 and its substrate specificity, and to obtain information about the hydrophobic subsite, partially comprised of Tyr352 (Phe330) and Phe353 (Phe331), we performed site-directed mutagenesis and in vitro expression. The aliphatic substitution mutant F312I ChE2 hydrolyzes AsCh preferentially but also butyrylthiocholine (BsCh), and the change in substrate specificity is due primarily to an increase in kcat for BsCh; Km and K ss are also altered. F422L and F422V produce enzymes that hydrolyze BsCh and AsCh equally due to an increase in kcat for BsCh and a decrease in kcat for AsCh. Our data suggest that Phe312 and Phe422 define the acyl pocket. We also screened mutants for changes in sensitivity to various inhibitors. Y352A increases the sensitivity of ChE2 to the bulky inhibitor ethopropazine. Y352A decreases inhibition by BW284c51, consistent with its role as part of the choline-binding site. Aliphatic replacement mutations produce enzymes that are more sensitive to inhibition by iso-OMPA, presumably by increasing access to the active site serine. Y352A, F353A and F353V make ChE2 considerably more resistant to inhibition by eserine and neostigmine, suggesting that binding of these aromatic inhibitors is mediated by π-π or cation-π interactions at the hydrophobic site. Our results also provide information about the aromatic trapping of the active site histidine and the inactivation of ChE2 by sulfhydryl reagents.

Butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) is a serine hydrolase enzyme that, along with acetylcholinesterase (AChE), catalyzes the hydrolysis of acetylcholine. These enzymes are associated with the pathology of neurologic disorders such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and multiple sclerosis (MS). In particular, AChE and BuChE accumulate in B- amyloid (AB) plaques and tau neurofibrillary tangles in the AD brain. Thus, imaging cholinesterase activity associated with plaques and tangles in the brain has the potential to provide definitive diagnosis of AD during life. This would be advantageous since, at present, confirmation of AD relies on detecting pathology through post-mortem examination of the brain. In a similar respect, BuChE is associated with the characteristic lesions in MS brain and thus, is a promising target for diagnosis and monitoring of pathology in this disease. It is hypothesized that cholinesterase-binding radiopharmaceuticals can be used in SPECT or PET imaging to visualize these enzymes associated with AD and MS pathology in the living brain. Several classes of cholinesterase ligands were synthesized and exhibited potent binding and specificity towards AChE and BuChE using enzyme kinetic analysis. These compounds were rapidly radiolabelled with 123I and purified. Radiolabelled molecules accumulated in vitro in areas known to contain cholinesterase activity in transgenic AD mice and post-mortem human AD brain tissues, using autoradiography. Furthermore, cholinesterase activity associated with AB plaques was visualized in human and transgenic mouse AD brain tissues. An enzyme kinetic approach was employed to determine critical residues in the BuChE active site gorge for ligand binding. In particular, residues pertaining to the peripheral site of the enzyme were identified and found to be involved in the binding of various ligands. These results are crucial for optimizing the enzyme binding properties of cholinesterase imaging agents. Finally, PET imaging of a transgenic mouse model of AD was performed as a vanguard for pre-clinical evaluation of cholinesterase imaging agents. PET imaging identified similar characteristics between this AD mouse model and the human condition. This is a promising approach for evaluation of cholinesterase imaging agents. Radioligands specific for cholinesterases have the potential to provide a noninvasive means for early diagnosis of neurological diseases using brain scanning.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Pesticides including organophosphates (OPs) and carbamates (CBs) are widelyused to control undesirable pests. These compounds are neurotoxic and inhibithydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine by acetylcholinesterase. Public healthconcerns have increased with the escalating usage of pesticides. Reliable monitoringprograms are required to detect and quantify pesticide exposure, as well as to promotean understanding of their neurotoxic properties. In this dissertation, both theanticholinergic (Part I) toxicity and neurotoxicity in neuroblastoma cells (Part II) ofpesticides were explored using mass spectrometry (MS). The high sensitivity andhigh-throughput of this technique renders it well-suited for proteomics analysis.Part I describes the study of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibition resultingfrom OP and CB exposure. The main hypothesis of Part I is that the specialmodification of BChE can provide the origin and extent of pesticide exposure. A novelmethod for detection and quantification of pesticide exposure was designed using aproteomics approach and equine BChE (eBChE) as a model system. The methodologyfeatured detection and analysis of phosphorylated or carbamylated peptides at theactive site serine residue. The developed technique was successfully applied towardsthe study of human BChE (hBChE) inhibition in vitro and in serum samples. Aspecially designed affinity column enabled an isolation of BChE from serum. EnrichedBChE was subjected to enzymatic digestion by a novel on-bead double digestionprotocol. LC/MS/MS was employed to produce a calibration system for the analysis ofhBChE inhibition, which was then applied towards quantification of the enzyme.Part II describes a proteomic study of the neurotoxicity in neuroblastoma cellscaused from chlorpyrifos (CPF), an organophosphate pesticide. The concerns of CPFexposure to pregnant women, infants and children are increasing due todevelopmentally neurotoxic effects of this chemical. The main hypothesis of Part II isthat CPF can cause protein alterations and these altered proteins can be detected usingproteomics. Systematic studies at subcellular levels evaluated proteome changes inSH-SY5Y cells exposed to CPF. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) wasapplied with MALDI-TOF-MS to analyze differential protein expression. Thirty sevencommon unique altered proteins were identified, which play important roles inmetabolic pathway.

Nováková D.: Biological activity of secondary plants metabolites I. Alkaloids of Narcissus jonquilla L. Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and Ecology, Hradec Králové 2015, pp. 70. The aim of the diploma thesis was a preparation of alkaloid extracts to identification of alkaloid patterns and measure cholinesterase inhibitory activity. This activity is useful for treating Alzheimer's disease. Alkaloid extracts of seven Narcissus jonquilla L. (Amaryllidaceae) varieties (Sundial, Sundisc, Sweetness, Waterperry, Simplex, Twinkling Yellow, Yazz) were studied with respect to their acetylcholinesterase (HuAChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (HuBuChE) inhibitory activity and alkaloid patterns. Twenty-three alkaloids were determined by GC/MS, and ten of them identified from their mass spectra and retention times. All samples exhibited content of galanthamine, most samples contained lycorine and tazettine. Promising HuAChE inhibition activity was demonstrated by Narcissus jonquilla L. cv. Waterperry with IC50 values of 6.53 ± 0.88 μg/mL. The strongest inhibitory activity against HuBuChE was detected in extract from Narcissus jonquilla L. cv. Sundisc with IC50 value of 5.09 ± 0.64 μg/mL. Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, Amaryllidaceae, Narcissus,...

Panchartková, M.: Biological aktivity of secondary plants metabolites III. Alkaloids of Narcissus tazetta L., Diploma thesis, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and Ecology, Hradec Králové, 2015, 67s. Plants from the Amaryllidaceae family contain alkaloids that have multiple biological effects. There is described antiviral, antitumor, antibacterial, antimalarial and anti-fungal effect. Activity against human cholinesterases is important too. The aim of this thesis was to prepare seven alkaloid extracts of individual cultivars of the plants Narcissus and then to realize their GC/MS analysis. Thanks to this analysis, several different structural types of alkaloids from the Amaryllidaceae family were identified. The most frequently identified alkaloids were homolycorine, lycorine, tazettine and galanthamine type. This was followed by the measuring of biological activity against human acetylcholinesterase (HuAChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (HuBuChE). The highest inhibitory activity IC50 identified the alkaloidal extract of the Narcissus jonquilla cv. New baby with the values in relation to HuAChE 13,78 ± 1,48 and in relation to HuBuChE 96,12 ± 9,55. The main reason was probably the highest content of galanthamine of all cultivars,...

Morávková, Martina. Comparison of original Ellman's method and its modification using microplate reader. Diploma thesis 2015. Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and Ecology. Supervisor: Ing. Kateřina Macáková, Ph.D. Key words: Ellman's method, acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, spectrophotometer, microplate reader. Ellman's method is often used procedure for measuring an inhibition of cholinesterases acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE). The principle is based on hydrolysis of acetylthiocholiniodide and butyrylthiocholiniodide to give an appropriate acid and thiocholine. Amount of thiocholine is determined spectrophotometrically by reaction with 5,5'-dithiobis-2-nitrobenzoic acid. Results of measurement from two different devices (spectrophotometer and microplate reader) and at two different temperatures (room temperature and 37 řC) were compared in this thesis. Substances with different amount of inhibition of both enzymes were chosen: allocryptopine, californidine iodide, eserine, galanthamine, huperzine A and tazettine. For californidine iodide (AChE, BuChE), eserine (BuChE) and huperzine A (AChE) were detected statistically significant differences during measurement on different devices and at...

Nerve agents (NAs) inhibit the essential enzyme acetylcholinesterase. Classified as chemical weapons, NAs are considered a threat to soldiers on the frontlines of warzones. Current treatments can prevent death from NA poisoning, but are not effective in preventing convulsions, seizures, or subsequent brain damage. Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) binds to NAs, rendering the chemicals harmless to acetylcholinesterase.. Two hundred mg of BChE is the putative prophylactic dose for adult humans, but is difficult to obtain in large quantities from expired human serum. Although recombinant BChE has been expressed in several organisms, the yields are still low. Nicotiana benthamiana is an attractive plant for transient protein production due to its quick growth rate, abundance of tissue, and history of successful recombinant protein production. For this research, N. benthamiana was infiltrated with viral based vectors as well as binary vectors containing the human BChE gene. Multiple assays indicated that binary vector BChE-105-1 + P19 enabled the best expression, producing 26 mg BChE/kg tissue. / Canada Research Chair Program, OMAFRA,

Jílek L.: The biological activity of secondary plants metabolites II. Alkaloids of Narcissus jonquilla L. Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Department of Pharmaceutical Botany and Ecology, Hradec Králové 2015, pp. 74. The aim of the diploma thesis was a preparation of alkaloid extracts to identification of alkaloid patterns and measure cholinesterase inhibitory activity. This activity is useful for treating Alzheimer's disease. Alkaloid extracts of seven Narcissus jonquilla L. (Amaryllidaceae) varieties (Bella Estrella, Bell Song, Fruit Cup, Hill Star, Chit Chat, Martinette, Dick Sickel) were studied with respect to their acetylcholinesterase (HuAChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (HuBuChE) inhibitory activity and alkaloid patterns. Thirteen different alkaloids were identified from their mass spectra and retention times. All samples exhibited content of tazettine, most samples contained lycoramine and galanthamine. Promising HuAChE inhibition activity was demonstrated by Narcissus jonquilla L. cv. Bell Song with IC50 values of 6,19 ± 0,85 μg/mL. The strongest inhibitory activity against HuBuChE was detected in extract from Narcissus jonquilla L. cv. Bella Estrella with IC50 value of 18,39 ± 1,51 μg/mL. Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, Amaryllidaceae, Narcissus, GC/MS,...

Magister Pharmaceuticae - MPharm / Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterised by low acetylcholine (ACh) levels in the hippocampus and cortex of the brain, causing symptoms like progressive memory loss, decline in language skills and other cognitive impairments to occur. The hallmarks of AD include the presence of extracellular insoluble amyloid beta plaques, intracellular neurofibrillary tangles, and the decrease in ACh concentration. The pathophysiology of AD is not well understood, however, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) and monoamine oxidases (MAO) are conspicuous role players in AD pathogenesis. Based on the cholinergic hypothesis, the AChE inhibitor donepezil was developed and has been used effectively clinically in the management of AD, with minimal side effects. Studies regarding the binding interactions of donepezil with AChE has shown that the benzyl-piperidine moiety of this compound shows substantial binding interactions at the CAS site of AChE where it blocks AChE activity. Coumarin is a compound of natural source that has shown some MAO inhibitory activity. Further studies done to clarify the potential of coumarin as a drug against AD has shown that coumarin has the capacity to bind at the PAS site of AChE, thus giving it the potential to prevent AChE induced amyloid plaque formation. Due to the multifactorial nature of AD, the drugs in the market show limited therapeutic benefits and are mainly for symptomatic relief. In order to address this limitation in AD treatment, researchers are exploring the possibility of designing a multi-target-directed-ligand (MTDL). The aim of this study was to synthesise a series of compounds out of pharmacophoric groups of donepezil and coumarin that will be able to inhibit both cholinesterases and MAO B. Four series of 5 compounds per series were synthesised. The first series of compounds consisted of the coumarin moiety to which a 1,4-dibromo benzene moiety was attached. The second series represented the coumarin moiety to which a piperidine (donepezil moiety shown to confer cholinesterase inhibitory property) was attached. The third series represented the coumarin moiety to which bromobenzyl-piperazine was attached and in the last series were compounds similar in structure to series 1 with an unsubstituted benzyl moiety as opposed to the dibromobenzyl moiety. Prior to the synthesis, molecular modelling was conducted in order to have an idea of the binding capacity of the compounds to MAO A and B and cholinesterases. In vitro biological evaluation of the compounds was done and used to determine the IC₅₀ values of the compounds. Nineteen compounds were synthesised and purified successfully as shown by their NMR, MS and IR spectra. The compounds to which dual inhibitory activity was conferred were those in series 2 and 3, of which series 2 showed the best overall inhibitory activity with IC₅₀ values within the low μM range. The compound with the best overall activity was Cp 9. Molecular modelling of Cp 9 showed that the coumarin core was located in the PAS region of AChE while the benzyl-piperidine moiety was situated in the CAS region of the enzyme. This compound orientation demonstrates the potential of Cp 9 to inhibit AChE induced amyloid beta plaque formation. Cp 9 showed no inhibitory activity towards MAO A, but showed good inhibitory activity towards MAO B with an IC₅₀ value of 0.30 μM. Its inhibitory activity towards cholinesterases also fell within the low μM range (AChE IC50 = 9.1 μM and BuChE IC₅₀ = 5.9 μM). From the results, it can be concluded that Cp 9 was able to inhibit both cholinesterase and MAO B catalytic activities at low μM concentrations. This thus means that our novel compound will not only increase ACh levels in the brain thus improving cognitive activity, but it will also have neuroprotective effect from its MAO B inhibitory property and also potentially slow down amyloid plaque formation due to AChE activity. / National Research Foundation (NRF)