Cholinesterases in rabbit serum.

1. Rabbit serum was shown to contain two cholinesterases which hydrolysed acetylthiocholine and butyrylthiocholine and one cholinesterase which hydrolysed only butyrylthiocholine. 2. The three enzymes were identified by the kinetics of heat inactivation and kinetics of phosphorylation by the organophosphate VX. 3. Using selective inhibitors (iso-OMPA, eserine, BNPP and BW-284C51) it was shown that the hydrolysis of acetylthiocholine and butyrylthiocholine in untreated native serum had properties of acetylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.7), butyrylcholinesterase (EC 3.1.1.8) and also some properties of carboxylesterase (EC 3.1.1.1). 4. Separation of proteins (on PAA-gels) in untreated native serum gave four bands with acetylthiocholine and three with butyrylthiocholine. 5. The two cholinesterases hydrolysing both substrates corresponded to the slow moving bands on the gel. 6. The fastest moving band hydrolysing only butyrylthiocholine could be attributed to the cholinesterase least sensitive to VX.