Detoxification of Chemical Warfare Agents by the Plant Cholinergic System

摘要

Plants have cholinesterases (pChEs), anti-ChEs, and activators of ChEs. We have isolated pChE from mung bean sprout. We investigated 300 plants and found that 75% of them contained anti- ChE that inhibited ChEs. Thirty-five percent contained activators of ChEs. An activator of ChE from wheat leaf, Tritiacche-T123 , activates fetal bovine serum AChE, equine BChE, and pChE. This non-oxime natural plant product may offer a new approach to the reactivation of OP-inhibited ChEs. pChE showed substrate differences from human acetylcholinesterase (AChE) or butyrylcholinesterase, hydrolyzing propionylthiocholine > acetylthiocholine > butyrylthiocholine. pChEs might also be useful as bioscavengers of OP nerve agents.