engleski

Acetylcholinesterase: emergence from a vulnerable target to a template for antidotes and detection of inhibitor exposure

Applications of recombinant DNA technology, chemical synthesis on biological templates and fluorescence detection of organophosphorylation provide unexplored avenues for development of antidotes and approaches for remote detection for exposure to organophosphate nerve agents and pesticides. We discuss here how acetylcholinesterase (AChE), through appropriate mutations, becomes more susceptible to oxime reactivation. Since the reaction between organophosphate and the mutated enzyme remains rapid, regeneration of active enzyme by oxime becomes the rate-limiting step in the process to complete a catalytic cycle for generation of active enzyme. Accordingly, "Oxime-assisted Catalysis" by AChE provides a potential means for catalyzing the hydrolysis of organophosphates in the plasma prior to their reaching the cellular target site. In turn, AChE, when conjugated with organophosphate, can be employed as a template for "click- chemistry, freeze-frame" synthesis of new nucleophilic reactivating agents that could potentially prove useful in AChE reactivation at the target site as well as in catalytic scavenging in the plasma. Finally, substituted AChE molecules can be conjugated to fluorophores giving rise to shifts in emission spectra for detection of exposure to organophosphates. Since external reagents do not have to be added to detect the fluorescence change, the modified enzyme would serve as a remote sensor.

organophosphate antidotes; oxime catalysis; catalytic scavenging; organophosphate

Tenth International Medical Chemical Defence Conference (MCDC) 2006 &#8220 ; ; New Strategies in Medical Protection Against Organophosphorus Compounds&#8221 ; ; Bundeswehr Medical Academy Munich, Germany 26^th to 27^th April 2006