Structural difference at the active site of dibucaine resistant variant of human plasma cholinesterase.

Human plasma cholinesterase from five different genotypes -- E1U E1U, E1U E1A, E1A E1A, E1U E1S, E1A E1S, and E1U E1U C5+ -- was purified 8,000 fold from serum by a two-step procedure involving chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and preparative disc electrophoresis. The esterases were labeled with diisopropyl-1, 3-C14-fluorophosphate (DFP) aminoethylated, and digested by trypsin. The trytic digests were subjected to high voltage electrophoresis, and the radioactive peptides were detected by radioautography. Comparison of the peptides revealed different electrophoretic mobilities of the usual and atypical (dibucaine resistant) plasma cholinesterase peptides. The results are consistent with a structural abnormality of the active center in the variant enzyme. No difference was observed an the esteratic site of the enzyme with C5 component.