Butyrylcholinesterase
Butyrylcholinesterase (HGNC symbol BCHE; EC 3.1.1.8), also known as BChE, BuChE, BuChase, pseudocholinesterase, or plasma (cholin)esterase, is a nonspecific cholinesterase enzyme that hydrolyses many different choline-based esters. In humans, it is made in the liver, found mainly in blood plasma, and encoded by the BCHE gene.
BCHE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Aliases | BCHE, CHE1, CHE2, E1, butyrylcholinesterase, BCHED | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
External IDs | OMIM: 177400 MGI: 894278 HomoloGene: 20065 GeneCards: BCHE | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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It is very similar to the neuronal acetylcholinesterase, which is also known as RBC or erythrocyte cholinesterase. The term "serum cholinesterase" is generally used in reference to a clinical test that reflects levels of both of these enzymes in the blood. Assay of butyrylcholinesterase activity in plasma can be used as a liver function test as both hypercholinesterasemia and hypocholinesterasemia indicate pathological processes. The half-life of BCHE is approximately 10 to 14 days.
Butyrylcholine is a synthetic compound that does not occur in the body naturally. It is used as a tool to distinguish between acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase.