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Embryonic and post-natal changes in activity and molecular forms of mucosal cell butyrylcholinesterase in chicken
1Laboratoire de Biochimie II, Centre de Recherche de Biologie et Physico-Chimie Cellulaires, Nantes, France.
Insights
Chicken intestinal mucosal cells exhibit butyrylcholinesterase activity, with levels changing significantly during embryonic and post-hatching development. Enzyme activity and its molecular forms (G1 and G4) vary, distinguishing it from plasma butyrylcholinesterase.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Developmental Biology
- Avian Physiology
Background:
- Cholinesterase activity is crucial in various physiological processes.
- Butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) is a key enzyme in the chicken intestine.
- Understanding BChE's developmental changes is important for avian gut health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the developmental profile of butyrylcholinesterase activity in chicken intestinal mucosal cells.
- To investigate the distinct molecular forms (G1 and G4) of BChE during chicken development.
- To compare mucosal BChE with other sources, like chicken plasma BChE.
Main Methods:
- Assay of cholinesterase activity in chicken intestinal mucosal cells.
- Analysis of enzyme activity at different embryonic and post-hatching stages.
- Characterization of soluble BChE molecular forms (G1 and G4) based on ionic strength solubility.
Main Results:
- Butyrylcholinesterase activity is present throughout chicken intestinal development, peaking at day 19 in ovo and again at 2-3 weeks post-hatching.
- The predominant molecular form shifts from G4 in ovo to G1 after hatching.
- Mucosal BChE exhibits a different form proportion compared to chicken plasma BChE, which remains predominantly G4.
Conclusions:
- Chicken intestinal mucosal BChE activity undergoes significant developmental regulation.
- The shift in G1 and G4 forms suggests developmental-specific roles for mucosal BChE.
- These findings highlight unique characteristics of intestinal BChE compared to other avian BChE sources.
Abstract:
The mucosal cells of the chicken intestine contain a cholinesterase activity essentially due to butyrylcholinesterase. The enzyme is present during embryonic and post-hatching development. The activity reaches a maximum value at day 19 in ovo and decreases prior to and after hatching up to day 4 ex ovo. Then the activity again rises reaching a second maximum at 2-3 weeks. Beyond this stage, the activity slowly decreases leveling off to the value determined in adult chicken. The enzyme exists as two globular forms (G1 and G4) soluble at low-ionic strengths. The G4 form is predominant in ovo up to day 19. From this stage and after hatching the G1 form is the main one. This change in the form proportion differentiates the mucosal cell butyrylcholinesterase from butyrylcholinesterase of other origins such as the chicken plasma enzyme which always shows a predominant G4 form.