Affinity chromatography of acetylcholinesterase. The importance of hydrophobic interactions.

An easily prepared affinity column for acetylcholinesterase is described, which may be operated at ionic strength high enough to prevent aggregation of the asymmetric forms of the enzyme. Specific elution by tetraethylammonium or decamethonium was quantitative. The performance of this column is comparable to that of the column described by Dudai and Silman. It is shown that the hexyl 'spacer arm' strongly participates in the enzyme binding and that its replacement with the more hydrophilic spermine chain lowers the affinity. The hexyl chain itself is shown to bind acetylcholinesterase, although with lower affinity and capacity than the complete column. This binding is also partly reversed by inhibitors. Such hydrophobic columns bind the native asymmetric forms of the enzyme more strongly than the lytic globular ones. The aromatic quaternary ligang inhibits Electrophorus but not Torpedo acetylcholinesterase; therefore the column does not retain the Torpedo enzyme. Differences in Km between acetylcholinesterases of the two species also point to differences in their active sites.