II: Reaction
O CH3 O CH3
CH3-C-O-CH2-CH2-N-CH3 + OH- ====== CH3-C-O- + HO-CH2-CH2-N-CH3
CH3 CH3
Acetylcholine AChE Acetate Choline
The mechanism of reaction of catalysis of acetylcholine is
similar to other serine proteases. Four major steps make up the
reaction. First a nucleophilic attack by the serine hydroxyl
of the carbonyl carbon takes place. This forms a tetrahedral
intermediate. The nucleophilic serine hydroxyl is stabilized
by the available lone pair on the nitrogen of a close histidine(
these residuses can be seen in the active site link). Second,
the ester oxygen leaves the tetrahedral intermediate. This forms
another ester with the serine. In this step the same histidine
is deprotonated by the choline molecule. In the third step,
the histidine deprotonates a water molecule to add to its nucleophilicity.
The water then attacks the carbonyl carbon and the tetrahedral
intermediate is again formed. Finally, the intermediate is destroyed
and the acetate is formed in the last step. The serine oxygen
receives a proton from the nitrogen of the histidine and the enzyme
returns to its original state(4).