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Acetylcholinesterase is an enzyme that breaks down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, ensuring it doesn’t continue floating through the body. It is critical to animal function and failure can lead to paralysis and other problems. Some pesticides and nerve gases inhibit its action.
Acetylcholinesterase, also known as AChE, is an enzyme critical to the function of animals from ants to elephants. The sole responsibility of this enzyme is to break down the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. Acetylcholine sends messages between nerves, signaling muscle contractions. If the neurotransmitter isn’t broken down after it’s done its job, the affected muscle won’t be able to relax, which could lead to spasms, paralysis, and other problems.
The enzyme acetylcholinesterase is found in the synaptic cleft, the space between nerve cells through which information flows. As the acetylcholine passes, the enzyme breaks it down into choline and acetic acid after it has done its job, ensuring that the neurotransmitter does not continue floating through the body. In a sense, acetylcholinesterase is like the teacher who stands at the classroom door and reminds the children to close it so that no drafts form in the classroom.
Choline and acetic acid are recycled by the body to make more acetylcholine so that stores of the neurotransmitter are ready when the body needs them. Acetylcholinesterase can break down acetylcholine in microseconds, working quickly to keep the synaptic cleft clear so mixed messages don’t occur.
Enzymes like this are constantly active in the body and their actions are purely automatic to ensure that the body continues to run smoothly. When this enzyme fails to kick in, a muscle will be stuck in a contracted position, which can be painful in the short term and problematic in the long term. Contracted muscles can contribute to paralysis, and muscle contraction can also interfere with breathing, heart rate, and other critical physical functions.
Some pesticides are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, inhibiting the action of the enzyme in insects so they die. Some nerve gases used on humans work in exactly the same way, which is why paralysis, respiratory failure and seizures are common symptoms of nerve gas poisoning, as the gas slowly pervades the body and prevents this critical enzyme from working as it should.
Incidentally, for those curious about etymology, the suffix “-asi” is used to indicate an enzyme. Typically the front of the word refers to the chemical compound upon which the enzyme acts. Lactase, for example, is an enzyme that breaks down the protein lactose. In addition to breaking things down, enzymes can also perform a variety of useful functions, ranging from coding DNA to working in the lab to create synthetic drugs.
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