Phylogenetic tree construction of butyrylcholinesterase sequences in life forms.

ABSTRACT

Butyrylcholinesterase is an enzyme with few known physiological functions. It is related to acetylcholine that was shown to be expressed in a variety of life forms. We performed a search using the human butyrylcholinesterase gene (HGNC983;MIM177400), and found the sequence in a broad spectrum including plants, bacteria and animals. Therefore butyrylcholinesterase appears to have evolved early in evolution, and to have been conserved.