Cholinesterases in development: AChE as a firewall to inhibit cell proliferation and support differentiation

► Development of vertebrate limbs depends on cholinesterases. ► Overexpression of AChE in R28 retinal cells decreases their proliferation. ► In very young retina, AChE precedes ChAT in the same postmitotic cells. ► Later, separate AChE+ and ChAT+ cells in inner retina remain closely together. ► A sharp “firewall” border restricts AChE+ cells to inner differentiative retina.