Esteratic site

Figure 6.1 Synthesis and metabolism of acetylcholine. Choline is acetylated by reacting with acetyl-CoA in the presence of choline acetyltransferase to form acetylcholine (1). The acetylcholine binds to the anionic site of cholinesterase and reacts with the hydroxy group of serine on the esteratic site of the enzyme (2). The cholinesterase thus becomes acetylated and choline splits off to be taken back into the nerve terminal for further ACh synthesis (3). The acetylated enzyme is then rapidly hydrolised back to its active state with the formation of acetic acid (4)...

We may now consider in a little more detail the interaction of true (or a-) cholinesterase with acetylcholine. Wilson and Berg mann1 suggest that there are two active sites in the enzyme, known as anionic site and esteratic site respectively. These sites (represented diagrammatically in fig. II)2 are not to be considered independent. The mode of attachment will be seen to depend upon (a) the quaternary nitrogen atom (N+< ) and... 

Most cholinesterase inhibitors inhibit the enz)nne by acylating the esteratic site on the enzyme surface. Physostigmine and neostigmine are examples of... 

Irreversible anticholinesterases include the organophosphorus inhibitors and ambenonium, which irreversibly phosphorylate the esteratic site. Such drugs have few clinical uses but have been developed as insecticides and nerve gases. Besides blocking the muscarinic receptors with atropine sulphate in an attempt to reduce the toxic effects that result from an accumulation of acetylcholine, the only specific treatment for organopho-sphate poisoning would appear to be the administration of 2-pyridine aldoxime methiodide, which increases the rate of dissociation of the organophosphate from the esteratic site on the enzyme surface. 

Simplified scheme of ACh hydrolysis at the active center of ACh. Rectangular area represents the active center of the enzyme with its anionic and esteratic sites. Top, the initial bonding of ACh at the active center. The broken line at left represents electrostatic forces. The broken line at right represents the initial interaction between the serine oxygen of the enzyme and the carbonyl carbon of ACh. The ester linkage is broken, choline is liberated, and an acetylated enzyme intermediate is formed (middle. Finally, the acetylated intermediate undergoes hydrolysis to free the enzyme and generate acetic acid (bottom). 

Acetylcholinesterase can be inhibited by two general mechanisms. In the first mechanism, positively charged quaternary ammonium compounds bind to the anionic site and prevent ACh from binding—a simple competitive inhibition. In the second mechanism, the agents act either as a false substrate for the cholinesterase or directly attack the esteratic site in both cases they covalently modify the esteratic site and non-competitively prevent further hydrolytic activity. Either mechanism can be effective in preventing the hydroly-... 

As given in classification, these agents are of two type e.g. reversible and irreversible. The reversible anticholinesterases have a structural resemblance to acetylcholine, are capable of combining with anionic and esteratic sites of cholinesterase as well as with acetylcholine receptor. The complex formed with the esteratic site of cholinesterase is less readily hydrolyzed than the acetyl esteratic site complex formed with acetylcholine. Edrophonium forms reversible complex with the anionic site and has shorter duration of action. Also, neostigmine and edrophonium have a direct stimulating action at cholinergic sites. 

Irreversible cholinesterases are mostly organophosphorus compounds and combine only with esteratic site of cholinesterase and that site gets phosphorylated. The hydrolysis of phosphorylated site produces irreversible inhibition of cholinesterase. And, because, of this property, the therapeutic usefulness is very limited. Most of the compounds are used as insecticides e.g. parathion, malathion and war gases e.g. tabun, sarin, soman etc. 

The OPPs inhibit acetylcholinesterase (AChE) by phosphorylating the esteratic site of the enzyme. As a result of AChE inhibition, ACh accumulates and binds to muscarinic and nicotinic receptors throughout the nervous system. Transformation of OPPs in the organisms takes place by conversion of the phosphorothioate (P=S) group to oxon (P=0) analogs. These oxo compounds are of concern because they are the activated forms of the OPPs, with a considerably stronger inhibition of acetylcholinesterase activity (27). 

The ketoxime derivative fluvoxamine (12) is a newer antidepressant thought to potentiate the action of 5-hydroxytryptamine76. Oxacillin (13), cefuroxime (14) as well as the monobactam aztreonam (15) represent potent antibacterial agents of the beta-lactam type77. The aldoxime pralidoxime (16) and a number of bi.v-quarternary oximes, such as obidoxime (17), can be used as reactivators of the phosphorylated esteratic site of acetylcholinesterase that occurs in the presence of organophosphate inhibitors78,79. 

VI. Structure of the Esteratic Site 1. pH Activity Curves of Cholinesterases... 

ChE s, like all animal esterases known so far, do not contain any specific prosthetic group. Upon hydrolysis, either by acids or by proteolytic enzymes (35), only amino acids or oligopeptides can be isolated. The enzymic activity decreases considerably during the degradation process (36), indicating that a complex structural arrangement is responsible for the catalytic effect. Therefore, the structure of the esteratic site can be derived only indirectly, i.e., by studies on the complete enzyme. 

Interpretation of the Second Dissociation Constant of the Esteratic Site... 

The second pK, 8.5-9.5, derived from the pH-activity curves, is much more difficult to interpret. This pK is naturally absent in the system imidazol + ester (21). It is also subject to much greater variation than pK0. This has been demonstrated for a variety of substrates (Fig. 3), but is especially prominent when thiol esters are being studied (Figs. 4 and 5). In the system eel esterase-acetylthiocholine, no decrease of activity is observed on the alkaline side up to pH 11, and for plasma cholinesterase-acetylthiocholine the decrease is very much delayed, when compared with the oxy ester, acetylcholine (see Fig. 2). Similar observations have been made with other esterases and other thiol esters (44)- They indicate that the second component 02 of the esteratic site, to which pK has to be ascribed, may be less essential for certain substrates than for others. 

In summarizing this discussion, one may represent the function of the esteratic site as a combination of two effects ... 

It should be recalled here that the alcoholic hydroxyl of serine does not possess a dissociation constant within the pH range, accessible to enzymic reactions. Therefore, this amino acid cannot influence the pH-activity curve. On the other hand, it is well known that DFP inhibition is initially reversible and becomes only slowly irreversible. This has been demonstrated for true ChE from electric eel by Nachmansohn and associates (46) and for plasma ChE by Mackworth and Webb (47). Similarly, a stepwise reaction with inhibitors, containing the diethyl phosphoryl moiety, has been made probable by Hobbiger (34)- Therefore, it appears possible that phosphates are first attacked by the imidazol moiety of the esteratic site, in conformity with the catalytic influence of free imidazol on phosphate hydrolysis (48). This step is followed by transfer to serine. The final product is a trialkyl phosphate XV, which is not split by imidazol (scheme F). 

A fruitful approach to this problem was based on the study of the inhibitory effect of quaternary ammonium ions, such as tetraethylammonium, as a function of pH (56). This type of inhibitors can combine only with the anionic sites, but does not possess any specific binding forces for the esteratic site. Therefore, any change in the inhibitory activity, when the pH is varied, must be ascribed to structural changes of the anionic sites, abolishing their charges. 

When a substrate like ACh is added, it will compete with both the quaternary ion and the proton for the anionic site. In addition, simultaneous changes in the esteratic site, produced by protons (see VI, 1), will modify the hydrolytic rate. Therefore, a very complicated picture results, which does not allow unequivocal conclusions to be drawn. If, however, hydrolysis is measured under noncompetitive conditions, only the equilibria (1) and (2) have to be considered. This can be done by extrapolating the rates to zero time, i.e., by measuring the amount of active enzyme still available after equilibration with inhibitor or protons. 

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