EXISTENCE OF 4 ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE GENES IN THE NEMATODES CAENORHABDITIS-ELEGANS AND CAENORHABDITIS-BRIGGSAE

Three genes, ace-1, ace-2 and ace-3, respectively located on chromosom es X, I and II, were reported to encode acetylcholinesterases (AChEs) of classes A, B and C in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We have previously cloned and sequenced ace-1 in the two related species C, el egans and C, briggsae. We report here partial sequences of ace-2 (enco ding class B) and of two other ace sequences located in close proximit y on chromosome II in C, elegans and C, briggsae. These two sequences are provisionally named ace-x and ace-y, because it is not possible at the moment to establish which of these two genes corresponds to ace-3 . Ace-x acid ace-y are transcribed in vivo as shown by RT-PCR and they are likely to be included in a single operon, (C) 1998 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.