Acetylcholinesterase molecular forms in rat heart.

A comparison of the molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in adult rat atria and ventricles was undertaken. The major forms present in both the atria and ventricles were globular 4S (G1) and 10S (G4) and asymmetric 16S (A12) with minor contributions from 6S (G2) and 12S (A8). Although the total specific AChE activity was higher in atrial samples, no differences in the proportions of the major AChE forms between the atrial and ventricular samples were seen. For example, 16S AChE accounted for 8% to 10% of the total AChE activity in all examined regions of the heart. Cardiac 16S AChE was shown to be soluble in high ionic strength buffer. The addition of EDTA to the extraction buffer resulted in no further solubilization of 16S AChE, indicating that only Type I asymmetric AChE is present in the heart. Additionally, 16S AChE did not require Triton X-100 for extraction. In contrast, 35% of the globular AChE required non-ionic detergent for extraction, which indicates that a percentage of globular AChE in rat heart is membrane-associated.