Electrophoretic difference between fetal and adult acetylcholinesterase of human red cell membranes.

The membrane bound enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) of human erythrocytes shows a lower level of activity in the newborn than in the adult. To evaluate if the decreased activity is correlated with changes in other properties of the enzyme, an electrophoretic method, recently devised to detect AChE activity, was used. Our results revealed an electrophoretic difference between adult and fetal enzymes. Sialic acid removal through neuraminidase treatment reduced the electrophoretic mobility of both forms rendering them identical in migration without, however, altering the activity.