On the mechanism of the acceleration of methanesulfonylation of acetylcholinesterase with cationic accelerators.

1. In order to elucidate some features of the mechanism of the acceleration of methanesulfonylation of acetylcholinesterase (acetylcholine hydrolase, EC 3.1.1.7) with cationic accelerators, the methanesulfonylation of this enzyme by high concentrations of methanesulfonylfluoride, in the absence and presence of accelerators decamethonium and tetraethylammonium, was studied. 2. The results showed that the accelerator accelerates the reaction by electrostatically improving the binding between acetylcholinesterase and methanesulfonylfluoride without effecting the rate of the decomposition of the enzyme-inhibitor complex into the methanesulfonylated enzyme and product.