Two heparin-binding domains are present on the collagenic tail of asymmetric acetylcholinesterase.

The collagen-tailed form of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) binds to heparin and heparan sulfate proteoglycans. We have employed synthetic peptides corresponding to the central collagenic region of the tail of AChE, to identify the heparin-binding domains of the tail of asymmetric AChE. Two putative heparin-binding consensus sequences were localized in the collagenic tail. Peptides containing such sequences (P-(145-159) and P-(249-262)) were able to release asymmetric AChE bound to heparin-agarose. A triple mutation, Asn-Asp-Gly-Gly instead of Arg-His-Gly-Arg, completely abolishes the capacity of the peptide P-(145-159) to elute AChE from the heparin column. Our results suggest that the interaction between the collagen-tailed AChE and proteoglycans is mediated by clusters of basic residues that form two belts around the triple helix of the collagenic tail.