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Choline transport by neuroblastoma cells in tissue culture

Abstract

NEUROBLASTOMA cells in tissue culture have been used widely as an in vitro model for neural functions. Certain ‘cholinergic’ clones have raised choline acetyltransferase activities1, and all clones studied display a high affinity uptake system for exogenous choline2. Whereas low affinity (KT 10−3 M) choline transport systems occur in various neural and non-neural mammalian tissues, high affinity (KT < 10−5 M), sodium-dependent choline uptake in brain synaptosomes3,4 and the guinea pig intestine (C. B. Pert, and S. H. Snyder, personal communication) is restricted to cholinergic neurones. Efficient conversion of choline to acetylcholine, ionic requirements and sensitivity to inhibitors should uniquely distinguish the cholinergic transport system from those of similar affinity for choline which occur in many cultured mammalian cell lines. We have examined these properties of the choline transport system in cholinergic and non-cholinergic neuroblastoma clones.

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LANKS, K., SOMERS, L., PAPIRMEISTER, B. et al. Choline transport by neuroblastoma cells in tissue culture. Nature 252, 476–478 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/252476a0

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