Abstract:
The bacterium Arthrobacter ilicis isolated from the marine sponge Spirastrella sp. produces extracellular serine type acetylcholinesterase. The maximum enzyme activity was found at 45 degrees C and pH 8.0. The activation and deactivation energies, calculated from an Arrhenius plot, were 13.68 and 36.96 kcal mol(-1), respectively. The enzyme was not affected by the addition of the major cations of sea water, such as Ca2+ and Mg2+ at 25 mmol l(-1), and was strongly inhibited by EDTA and different organophosphorus and carbamate compounds at 5 mmol l(-1).