Acetylcholinesterase from Electrophorus electricus (electric eel)

Molecular Weight: 280 kDa
Isoelectric Point: 5.5
Extinction Coefficient: E^1% = 18.0 (280 nm)

Acetylcholinesterase from Electrophorus electricus is a tetramer composed of 4 equal subunits of 70 kDa each. Each subunit contains one active site. The enzyme is a glycoprotein containing hexosamines.

The enzyme from sigma has been used as a reference to to evaluate the effect of aspartame metabolites on hippocampal acetylcholinesterase activity. The enzyme has also been used in immobilization studies for the rapid detection of acetylthiocholine chloride.

Major degradative enzyme for acetylcholine in vivo. Converts acetylcholine + H₂O to choline + acetic acid.

Lyophilized powder containing Tris buffer salts

This enzyme dissolves in 20 mM Tris-HCl buffer, pH 7.5 at 1 mg/mL concentration, yielding a clear solution.

The activity obtained using acetylcholine as substrate is 30-100 times that obtained with butyrylcholine, using acetylcholinesterase from electric eel.

One unit will hydrolyze 1.0 μmole of acetylcholine to choline and acetate per min at pH 8.0 at 37 °C.