New perspective on the regulation of acetylcholinesterase via the aryl hydrocarbon receptor

AbstractAcetylcholinesterase (AChE, EC 3.1.1.7) plays important roles in cholinergic neurotransmission and has been widely recognized as a biomarker for monitoring pollution by organophosphate (OP) and carbamate pesticides. Dioxin is an emerging environmental AChE disruptor and is a typical persistent organic pollutant with multiple toxic effects on the nervous system. Growing evidence has shown that there is a significant link between dioxin exposure and neurodegenerative diseases and neurodevelopmental disorders, most of which involve AChE and cholinergic dysfunctions. Therefore, an in ‐depth understanding of the effects of dioxin on AChE and the related mechanisms of action might help to shed light on the molecular bases of dioxin impacts on the nervous system. In the past decade, the effects of dioxins on AChE have been revealed in cultured cells of different origins and in ro dent animal models. Unlike OP and carbamate pesticides, dioxin‐induced AChE disturbance is not due to direct inhibition of enzymatic activity; instead, dioxin causes alterations of AChE expression in certain models. As a widely accepted mechanism for most dioxin effects, the aryl hydrocarbon recep tor (AhR)‐dependent pathway has become a research focus in studies on the mechanism of action of dioxin‐induced AChE dysregulation. In this mini‐review, the effects of dioxin on AChE and the diverse roles of the AhR pathway in AChE regulation are summarized. Additionally, the involvement of Ah R ...

Source: Journal of Neurochemistry - December 5, 2020 Category: Neuroscience Authors: Heidi Qunhui Xie, Yongchao Ma, Hualing Fu, Tuan Xu, Yali Luo, Yiyun Liu, Yangsheng Chen, Li Xu, Yingjie Xia, Bin Zhao Tags: REVIEW Source Type: research