Activation of Choline Acetyltransferase by Salts

IONIZED salts affect choline acetyltransferase, EC 2.3.1.6 (ChA), in two important ways. They change the equilibrium between soluble and membrane-bound ChA, in preparations of ruptured nerve endings^1,2. Further, the rate of synthesis of acetylcholine by soluble ChA and the Michaelis constants for this reaction depend on the concentration of salts³. The relevance of these effects to the role of ChA in nerve function and the mechanisms responsible are unknown. Our observations clarify the effect of salts on the soluble enzyme.