ABSTRACT
The genes encoding Cholinesterase (CHE genes) have only recently joined the family of known amplifiable sequences. CHEs are carboxylesterase type B enzymes capable of hydrolyzing the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. They are classified primarily according to their substrate specificity and sensitivity to selective inhibitors into acetylcholinesterase, which is the primary CHE in brain and muscle, and butyrylcholinesterase, the major CHE in liver and plasma. Unusually high levels of CHE activities have been noted in a number of primary tumors, including glioblastoma multiform, meningiomas, ovarian adenocarcinomas, and pheochromocytomas. Acetylcholine analogues and CHE inhibitors have been shown to induce megakaryocytopoiesis, leading to abnormal platelet production in the mouse. BCHE gene amplification was found in DNA from peripheral blood cells from a father and son of an agronomic family carrying a defective BCHE trait who were occupationally exposed to parathion for four decades.
