Intracarotid infusion of 3 microM glycyl-L-glutamine was found to oppose the fall in the choline acetyl-transferase content of the preganglionically denervated cat superior cervical ganglion; this same effect has been demonstrated previously for acetylcholinesterase content. Because choline acetyltransferase, in contrast to acetylcholinesterase, occurs exclusively in the preganglionic axons and...

The condition of dominance or submission following agonistic encounters in the adult male mouse is known to differentially affect brain nerve growth factor, a neurotrophin playing a role in brain remodeling, in the fine tuning of behaviour and in the regulation of the basal forebrain cholinergic neurons. During development and adult life nerve growth factor regulates brain expression of neurotr...

During recent years a key role as morphogen has been postulated for the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the developing Central Nervous System. Acetylcholine released from growing axons regulates growth, differentiation and plasticity. The acetylcholine distribution is frequently defined by acetylcholinesterase and choline acetyltransferase expression patterns. The cholinergic/cholinoceptive s...

Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of streptozotocin has been introduced as a means to inhibit glucose utilization in the rat brain, and to induce changes in neurotransmitter systems and behavior which resemble those seen in Alzheimer's disease. In this study, enzyme activities previously investigated in Alzheimer's disease (peptidases, dehydrogenases and acetyltransferases) were measur...

Choline acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.6) catalyzes the reversible transfer of the acetyl group from acetyl coenzyme A to choline. Previous studies are consistent with the idea that an active site sulfhydryl group reacts with acetyl coenzyme A to form an acetyl-thioenzyme intermediate and coenzyme A (ROSKOSKI, R., JR. (1973) Biochemistry 12, 3709). Choline then reacts with the acetyl-enzyme to for...

Choline acetyltransferase (EC 2.3.1.6) catalyzes the following reversible reaction: acetyl coenzyme A + choline acetylcholine + coenzyme A. Bromoacetyl-CoA and bromoacetylcholine are potent inhibitors of the bovine brain enzyme. Although the enzyme is inactive immediately following Sephadex gel filtration to remove unreacted inhibitor, enzyme activity returns to normal in 1 day at 0". When the ...

Enhancement of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity and increased intraneuronal acetylcholine (ACh) may explain the convulsant activity of some inhaled compounds. Enflurane, for example, enhances such activity. Accordingly, we measured choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity in rat cortical synaptosomes in the presence of two inhaled convulsants, flurothyl (CF3CH2OCH2CF3) and 1,2-dichlor...

The anatomical organization of the basal forebrain cholinergic system with emphasis on the basal magnocellular nucleus, was studied by means of the choline acetyltransferase immunohistochemistry. The basal forebrain cholinergic system extends from the medial septum to the caudal part of the globus pallidus, and is organized as a continuous valley of cholinergic neurons. The arrangement of choli...

1. An enzyme similar to mammalian acetylcholinesterase is found in high activity in the nervous tissue of Palaemonetes varians, i.e. eyes plus stalks, brain, suboesophageal ganglion and ventral cord. Acetylcholinesterase is also found associated with the abdominal muscles. Multiple enzyme forms are found in extracts of nervous tissues and muscles by electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing. 2. ...