title: Cell lines expressing an acetylcholine release mechanism; correction of a release-deficient cell by mediatophore transfection.
abstract: Several neuronal and non-neuronal cell lines express a Ca(2+)-dependent mechanism of transmitter release that can be demonstrated after loading the cells with acetylcholine during culture. In contrast, a particular cell line, the neuroblastoma N18TG-2, was found to be deficient for release. We transfected N18TG-2 cells with a plasmid encoding Torpedo mediatophore, a protein able to translocate acetylcholine in response to calcium. The N18TG-2 cells expressed the Torpedo protein which reached their plasma membrane. At the same time, these cells acquired a Ca(2+)-dependent quantal release mechanism similar to the one naturally expressed by other cell lines. Hence, the presence of mediatophore in the plasma membrane seems essential for quantal release.
authors.affiliation: Départment de Pharmacologie, C.M.U., Genève, Switzerland.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Falk-Vairant
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Meunier
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lesbats
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Corrèges
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Eder-Colli
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Synguelakis
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Dunant
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Israël
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004594:Electrophysiology; D006801:Humans; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000378:metabolism; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D014101:Torpedo; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014981:Xenopus
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C050299:mediatophore; D000109:Acetylcholine