Abstract
O'BRIEN, in a recent communication1, said that our remarks in the two publications to which he refers2,3 could be interpreted as a statement that there was no choline esterase in adult Tribolium castaneum Hbst. or larvæ of Tenebrio molitor L. The relevant sentences (ref. 3, p. 496) are as follows : “Preliminary tests with preparations of whole Tribolium castaneum Hbst. and Tenebrio molitor L. failed to show any activity in hydrolysing acetyl choline. It should be pointed out that no persistent attempt was made to prepare an extract hydrolysing acetyl choline since these preparations were found to have considerable esterase activity in hydrolysing ethyl butyrate and o-nitrophenyl acetate. It is possible that with a different technique these insects may prove a satisfactory source of choline esterase”.
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References
O'Brien, R. D., Nature, 172, 162 (1953).
Lord, K. A., and Potter, C., Nature, 166, 893 (1950).
Lord, K. A., and Potter, C., Ann. App. Biol., 38, 495 (1951).
Hopf, A. S., Ann. App. Biol., 39, 193 (1952).
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LORD, K., POTTER, C. Hydrolysis of Esters by Extracts of Insects. Nature 172, 679–681 (1953). https://doi.org/10.1038/172679b0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/172679b0
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