Serum esterase genetics in rabbits. I. Phenotypic variation of the prealbumin esterases and classification of atropinesterase and cocainesterase

✍ Scribed by L. F. M. Zutphen

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1974
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 833 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0006-2928
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00485951

✦ Synopsis

Rabbit atropinesterase and cocainesterase were studied by starch gel electrophoresis. The enzymes are localized in a region of the gels anodal to the albumins (prealbumin esterases). In this region, three groups of esterase zones ( S, F, and D) can be distinguished. The S and F zones are almost exclusively responsible for the hydrolysis of cocaine and atropine, respectively. There is an interdependence of the S, F, and D zones: the activity of zone D depends on the presence of the three F zones, whereas these F zones are found only in combination with the three S zones, o~-Naphthylacetate as a substrate reveals six different phenotypes; two of these phenotypes are shown to be composed of two subtypes when a supplementary staining procedure is executed. A tropinesterase and cocainesterase are classified as carboxylesterases (E.C. 3.1.1.1.) with a rather wide specificity for both aliphatic and aromatic esters. The ~-naphthol esters are split better than the corresponding fl-naphthol esters. Naphthol esters with an acyl side-chain of three carbon atoms are hydrolyzed optimally by the enzymes.