@unpublished{cogprints4667, month = {April}, title = {Acetylcholinesterase [AChE] activity and isozyme pattern in normal and lithium-treated developing chick brain }, school = {Sophia College}, author = {Ms Anahita Gouri}, year = {2004}, note = {A poster on this research work was presented at the ?XXVII All India Cell Biology Conference? held in January 2004 at the University of Pune.A platform presentation was delivered at the ? Joint International Neuroscience Conference? held in May 2004, at the university of Hyderabad. The author was honoured with the ?D.M Kar - Young scientist 2004 award?. This project also received the 'Lady Tata Memorial Trust? scholarship. }, keywords = {Anahita Gouri, acetylcholinesterase, Lithium, Developing chick brain, invertebrate AChE, vertebrate AChE}, url = {http://cogprints.org/4667/}, abstract = {Literature Survey: - Acetylcholinesterase [AChE] is an enzyme that terminates Acetylcholine [ACh] mediated neurotransmission. Its wide neuronal and non-neuronal cellular distribution has made it the focus of intense research. The data on tissue and species specific AChE expression, the detection of its various isoforms and its cholinergic and non-cholinergic functions has been accumulated and reviewed from a range of evolutionary diverse vertebrates and invertebrates that include insects, nematodes, fish, reptiles, birds and several mammals, among them man. Project Work: - Acetylcholinesterase [AChE], the lytic enzyme of the cholinergic system, functions in hydrolyzing the neurotransmitter Acetylcholine [ACh] and hence is used as a marker for cholinergic function. In vertebrates the protein is synthesized by a single gene and undergoes alternative splicing to give several isoforms. This enzyme and its isoforms are also involved in synaptogenesis, modulated by stages of development and differentially distributed in the brain. Not only is it known to be a marker for the developing chick brain, but is also implicated in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer?s Disease. Isozyme Pattern of AChE is suggested to serve as a useful prognostic marker in neuronal degeneration. Lithium, a well-known teratogen, has been shown in our laboratory to induce apoptosis in a developing chick brain. Understanding the dynamics of AChE isoform pattern in lithium induced neural tissue damage would help elucidating the role of these isoforms in a degenerating system and add to our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases. We have therefore studied activity and isozyme pattern of AChE in lithium-treated and control 7-day old developing chick brain and report the same.} }