Distribution of acetylcholinesterase molecular forms in brain, nerve and muscle tissue of Torpedo marmorata

The distribution of multiple molecular esterase forms in brain, electromotor nerve, back muscle and a subcellular synaptosomal fraction from the electric organ of Torpedo marmorata was investigated. Each tissue was characterized by a specific pattern of distribution of esterase forms. Electric lobe exhibited a marked difference to the other brain tissues and electric organ, in that it contained predominantly fast sedimenting 17 S acetylcholinesterase. The solubilization properties indicated that the 17 S form is not exclusively associated with basal lamina. The results support the view that location and function of the various molecular esterase forms can vary from tissue and depend on the physiological demands of each system