PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

K B Augustinsson

Publications and source records attributed to K B Augustinsson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1979

Isolation and characterization of a butyrylesterase from human erythrocytes.

Human erythrocytes contain a butyrylesterase which, judging from the ease with which it can be solubilized, is present in the cytoplasm of these cells. This enzyme has been isolated and a number of its properties characterized. The purified enzyme hydrolyzed butyryl esters with both a lower Km and higher V than is seen with esters containing longer or shorter acyl groups. It has a molecular weight of 320 000 and an isoelectric point of 4.1. This low isoelectric point is apparently a result of the relatively high content of glutamic and aspartic acids. The stability of the isolated butyrylesterase has been examined under a number of different conditions. The enzyme is inhibited by low concentrations of Hg2+, Cd2+, Zn2+ and the organophosphorus compound Mipafox, but is insensitive to eserine. The properties of this butyrylesterase, including its ability to hydrolyze thiocholine esters at a relatively rapid rate (albeit with a high Km), are a mixture of those expected for an arylesterase and a cholinesterase.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1979

A mechanistic model for butyrylcholinesterase.

A plausible mechanism of action of horse serum butyrylcholinesterase is proposed. It includes substrate activation at the level of deacylation. The rate constant for the acylation of the enzyme appears to be much greater than the rate constant for the deacylation, at low substate concentrations. At higher substrate concentrations the rate constants become more similar. No interaction between the four subunits in binding of inhibitors or in the catalysis was observed. There is one esteratic and one anionic site per subunit apparent from labelling studies with [32P]diisopropylfluorophosphate and binding studies with N-methylacridine. Although the tetrametric form of the enzyme appears to be the native one, the monomeric and several other aggregated and dissociated states are catalytically active.

Acylation↗
PubMed1978

A new approach to determining cholinesterase activities in samples of whole blood.

A sensitive method, especially suitable for clinical laboratories, for the routine determination of cholinesterase activities in whole blood is presented. This method is based on the hydrolysis of propionylthiocholine and the spectrophotometric determination of the thiocholine produced by reaction with 4,4'-dithiodipyridine. The reaction product 4-thiopyridone has an absorption maximum at 324 nm, so that measurement in the presence of hemoglobin is possible. Propionylthiocholine is used at the substrate for both plasma butyrylcholinesterase and erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase. These two enzymes, in the relative amounts at which they are present in human blood, split this ester at about the same rate. Consequently, a first determination gives the total activity of which each individual activity is about 50%. A second determination in the presence of a selective inhibitor ("Astra 1397") for plasma butyrylcholinesterase gives the activity of the erythrocyte acetylcholinesterase. The difference between the two values represents the activity of the plasma enzyme. The validity of the method and the reliability of the results were checked with each blood sample in two ways: (1) by determining the activities of whole blood with an earlier gasometric technique which uses blood sample dried on filter paper; and (2) by measuring the activities in separated plasma and erythrocyte hemolysate eith propionylthiocholine as the substrate.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed1978

Effect of occupational exposure to organophosphorus insecticides on neuromuscular function.

Neurophysiological investigations and determinations of cholinesterase activity on plasma and erythrocytes were carried out on 11 Swedish spraymen exposed to bromophos, diazinon, dursbane, and malathion. Plasma cholinesterase activity was significantly reduced after work, while erythrocyte cholinesterase activity was unchanged. In none of the workers with a decreased plasma cholinesterase activity after work could any related acute neuromuscular disturbance be detected when the men were tested with repetitive nerve stimulation and with single fiber electromyography. Signs of subclinical neuropathy were present as a slight reduction in sensory conduction velocity and increased fiber density in some workers.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1975

Esterases in human saliva.

A sensitive method for quantitative determination of esterase activity has been applied to human saliva and used for substrate and inhibitor studies. By means of gel isoelectrofocusing the whole saliva esterases were divided into two main groups, each resolved into several bands. Comparison of isoelectrophoretic zymograms of whole, submandibular and parotid saliva indicates that one of the groups originates from the submandibular fluid. With the aid of gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography the saliva esterases were partially separated and purified. The classification of the main saliva esterases as carboxylesterases (EC 3.1.1.1) is discussed in terms of their substrate and inhibitor properties.

Acetazolamide↗
PubMed1974

The effects of two disulphides on cholinesterase activity in the spectrophotometric assay.

1. 5,5'-Dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoate) did not influence serum cholinesterase activity, whereas 2,2'-dithiodipyridine had an inhibitory effect. 2. The lowering of the molar extinction coefficients observed in the presence of physostigmine may be a result of a reaction between thiolate ions with carbamate moieties. 3. The use of 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoate) is still recommended in investigations, especially where the quantitative aspects are significant.

Acetylcholinesterase↗
PubMed1974

A steady-state kinetic model of butyrylcholinesterase from horse plasma.

The steady-state kinetics of the butyrylcholinesterase-catalysed hydrolysis of butyrylthiocholine and thiophenyl acetate were shown to deviate from Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The ;best' empirical rate law was selected by fitting different rate equations to the experimental data by non-linear regression methods. The results were analysed in view of two alternative interpretations: (1) the reaction is catalysed by a mixture of enzymes, or (2) the activity is due to a single enzyme displaying deviations from Michaelis-Menten kinetics. It was concluded that the second alternative applies, and this conclusion was further supported by experiments involving simultaneous hydrolysis of alternative thiol ester substrates (butyrylthiocholine/thiophenyl acetate) as well as alternative thiol ester and oxygen ester substrates (butyrylthiocholine/phenyl acetate; thiophenyl acetate/butyrylcholine; acetylthiocholine/phenyl acetate). On the basis of the conclusion that a single enzyme is responsible for the activity, a molecular model is proposed. This model involves an acylated enzyme, and implies binding to the enzyme of one acyl group and one ester molecule, but not two ester molecules at the same time. Thus butyrylcholinesterase, which is structurally a tetramer, behaves functionally as a co-operative dimer, an interpretation in accordance with available data from active-site titrations.

Animals↗
PubMed1971

Comparative aspects of the purification and properties of cholinesterases.

Recent years have seen great progress in the purification and characterization of cholinesterases. Investigation has indicated the existence of two principal groups: a fairly homogeneous group of acetylcholinesterases and a group of enzymes that utilize butyrylcholine, propionycholine, or benzoylcholine as substrates and that differ widely in their properties.This paper reviews the different types of cholinesterase and their sources, the importance of a proper choice of substrate in cholinesterase studies, methods for the purification of cholinesterases, and some of the properties of these enzymes.

Acetates↗