Abstract
Butyrylcholinesterase is a serine hydrolase related to acetylcholinesterase that catalyses the hydrolysis of esters of choline, including acetylcholine. Butyrylcholinesterase has unique enzymatic properties and is widely distributed in the nervous system, pointing to its possible involvement in neural function. Here, we summarize the biochemical properties of butyrylcholinesterase and review the evidence that this enzyme has important roles in cholinergic neurotransmission and could be involved in other nervous system functions and in neurodegenerative diseases.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 131-138 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Nature Reviews Neuroscience |
| Volume | 4 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 2003 |
Funding
We would like to thank E. Martin and R. Walsh for their assistance and helpful discussions. The preparation of this review was made possible in part by an unrestricted educational grant from Novartis Pharma. Research on cholinesterases was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, The Scottish Rite Charitable Foundation of Canada, Capital District Health Authority Research Fund, Heart and Stroke Foundations of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia (S.D. and D.A.H.), and by Novartis Pharma. (C.G.).
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Neuroscience