Ubiquitous Presence of the Tailed, Asymmetric Forms of Acetylcholinesterase in the Peripheral and Central Nervous Systems of the Frog (Rana Temporaria)

Five molecular forms of acetylcholinesterase can be solubilized from the peripheral and central nervous systems of the frog: they will be referred to as the 3.6, 6, 10.5, 14 and 18 S forms. They seem to be analogous to the forms present in endplate-rich and endplate-free regions of frog skeletal muscle. In particular the 18 and 14 S forms represent the collagen-tailed forms of frog acetylcholinesterase. These heavy forms are found in all peripheral and central tissues examined, including whole brain or regions of brain: cerebellum, telencephalon, optic tectum, spinal cord, spinal ventral and dorsal roots and sciatic nerve, as well as in glial or Schwann cellrich tissues devoid of neuronal elements, such as the filum terminale or the severed stump of the nerve, several weeks after section. The 18 S form may represent up to 30% of total acetylcholinesterase activity. It thus seems that the 14 S and 18 S forms are very widely distributed throughout most neuronal and non-neuronal tissues in amphibians.