Plant-derived enzyme could help protect against nerve agents

摘要

Human blood carries enzymes that can scavenge nerve agents used in chemical warfare. Previous research in animals has shown that administering adequate quantities of the serum-derived enzyme butyrlcholinesterase, now being tested in clinical trials, can help prevent incapacitation and death from nerve agent poisoning. However, serum carries too little of the enzyme to yield enough for use as. a preventive drug in realistic poisoning scenarios, not to mention the risks associated with using a blood product. Brian Geyer et al. (pp. 20251-20256) tested the ability of butyrlcholinesterase produced in transgenic plants to protect rodents from the deadly effects of nerve agents. In test tube experiments, the authors report, plant-derived butyrlcholinesterase scavenged both the nerve agent soman and an activated form of the insecticide parathion with a catalytic efficiency comparable to that of the human enzyme.