Chemico-biological interactions
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New findings regarding acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the neuromuscular junction (NMJ), obtained in the last decade, are briefly reviewed. AChE is highly concentrated in the NMJs of vertebrates. Its location remains stable after denervation in mature rat muscles but not in early postnatal muscles. ⋯ It contains domains for binding AChE to basal lamina with ionic and covalent interactions. Muscle activity is required for normal AChE expression in muscles and its accumulation in the NMJs. In addition, the pattern of muscle activation also regulates AChE activity in the NMJs, demonstrating that the pattern of synaptic transmission is able to modulate one of the key synaptic components.