Cholinesterases are among the most efficient enzymes known. They are divided into two groups: acetylcholinesterase, involved in the hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and butyrylcholinesterase also known as pseudocholinesterase. Human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) has attracted attention because it can hydrolyze toxic esters such as cocaine or scavenge organophosphorus pesticides and nerve agents. The structure of BChE is similar to a previously published theoretical model of this enzyme and to the structure of Torpedo acetylcholinesterase. Pseudocholinesterase deficiency, also known as butyrylcholinesterase deficiency, refers to a rare acquired or inherited defect in the pseudocholinesterase enzyme produced by the liver. In clinical anesthesia practice, the muscle relaxants succinylcholine and mivacurium are drugs used to optimize intubating conditions and surgical exposure. The drugs succinylcholine and mivacurium are both metabolized by the pseudocholinesterase enzyme. Patients with defective forms of pseudocholinesterase will have a reduced ability to metabolize these two muscle relaxants and will present with prolonged muscular paralysis from standard doses of succinylcholine and mivacurium. The inherited form of the enzyme transfers in an autosomal recessive manner secondary to mutations in the butyrylcholinesterase gene, located on chromosome 3, 3q26.1-26.20. Here you can see a crystal structure of the human enzyme (PDB code: 1P0I)
#molecularart ... #immolecular ... #pseudocholinesterase ... #butyrylcholinesterase ... #drug ... #metabolism ... #geneticdisease ... #xray
Structure rendered with @proteinimaging and depicted with @corelphotopaint
#molecularart ... #immolecular ... #pseudocholinesterase ... #butyrylcholinesterase ... #drug ... #metabolism ... #geneticdisease ... #xray
Structure rendered with @proteinimaging and depicted with @corelphotopaint
