title: Choline acetyltransferase activity in chick retina cultures: effect of membrane depolarizing agents.
abstract: The activity of choline acetyltransferase (CAT) was investigated in primary cultures of retina from 8-day-old chick embryos. After the second day in culture, the total and specific activities of the enzyme decreased by more than 50%. Cultivation of the cells in 56 mM K+ or 59 microgram/ml of veratrine retarded the loss of CAT activity up to days 3-5 in vitro. If the addition of 56 mM K+ or 59 microgram/ml of veratrine was delayed until the third day of culture, these agents had no effect on the remaining CAT activity. These results suggest that the survival in culture of a part of the cholinergic retinal neurons requires membrane depolarization.
mesh_terms: D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002642:Chick Embryo; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D003995:Dibutyryl Cyclic GMP / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology; D012160:Retina / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000502:physiology; D013779:Tetrodotoxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014702:Veratrine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D015124:8-Bromo Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate; D003995:Dibutyryl Cyclic GMP; D013779:Tetrodotoxin; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D014702:Veratrine