Collagen-tailed and globular forms of acetylcholinesterase in the developing chick visual system.

We have carried out a comparative study of the developmental profiles of the enzyme acetylcholinesterase, and of its collagen-tailed and globular structural forms, solubilized in the presence of 1 M NaCl, 1% (w/v) sodium cholate and 2 mM EDTA, in the chick retina and optic lobes. The overall acetylcholinesterase activities, both per mg protein and per embryo or chick, are substantially higher in tectum than in retina, from embryonic day 16. The A(12) collagen-tailed form of the enzyme is present in similar amounts in the embryonic retina and optic tectum; however, while the A(12) activity increases significantly in retina after birth, both by percentage and in absolute terms, the tectal tailed enzyme follows a declining developmental profile, reaching a minimum after 6 months of life. On the other hand, the globular G(4) species shows developmental profiles, both in retina and tectum, rather similar to those obtained for the overall enzyme activity, while the G(2) and G(1) forms are present in comparable concentrations in both tissues. Besides, G(4) is the predominant globular form in the chick optic lobe after hatching, G(2) and G(1) being enriched in the embryonic tectum. In the case of retina, however, all the globular forms contribute more evenly to the total acetylcholinesterase activity, along the developmental period considered. The potential significance of some of the postnatal developmental profiles is discussed in terms of the progressive adjustment of retina and tectum to the requirements of visual function.