State of Tissue Acetylcholinesterase as Determined by Cobalt-60 Gamma Radiation Inactivation

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Abstract
Irradiation of dilute acetylcholinesterase suspensions with colbalt-60 gamma-rays inactivated the sedimentable and nonsedimentable enzyme fractions at markedly different rates, thus permitting quantitative differentiation by this means alone. Irradiation of the electric eel organ itself, a tissue of very high water content (92% H2O), yielded a low rate of acetylcholinesterase inactivation which was unaffected by the removal of lyophilizable water. The fraction of the electric eel organ acetylcholinesterase which was capable of attaining the marked radioresistance of whole tissue was found to be in the participate matter. As predicted from the eel organ studies, biological materials with known particulate localization of acetylcholinesterase (e.g., rat brain, human red blood cells) were as radioresist-ant in the fresh, wet state as when dry. In contradistinction, the nonspecific plasma acetylcholinesterase was more radioresistant in a lyophilized state than in solution (8% solids).