title: Vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT): a cellular marker in rat retinal development.
abstract: A polyclonal goat antiserum against the C-terminal end of the rat vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) was used to examine the postnatal expression of this protein in the rat retina. The transporter protein was localized in choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-positive, cholinergic interneurones (so-called starburst amacrine cells) in the inner retina. During postnatal development the VAChT was expressed from postnatal day 1 onward by the two subsets of these cholinergic amacrine cells. The immunocytochemical detection of the VAChT provides a specific marker for the study of developing cholinergic neurones in the rat retina, which so far has only been monitored by ChAT immunoreactivity in the second postnatal week.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Hirnforschung, Abteilung für Neuroanatomie, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koulen
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000737:chemistry; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000032:analysis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007395:Interneurons / Q000737:chemistry; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D012160:Retina / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development; D050494:Vesicular Acetylcholine Transport Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C493461:Slc18a3 protein, rat; D050494:Vesicular Acetylcholine Transport Proteins; D033921:Vesicular Transport Proteins; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase; D000109:Acetylcholine