title: Choline deficiency induced by Mycoplasma fermentans enhances apoptosis of rat astrocytes.
abstract: A choline uptake system accumulating free choline in an energy-dependent process is described in Mycoplasma fermentans. The uptake system has a K(m) of 2.2x10(-5) M and a V(max) of 0.15 nmol 10 min(-1) mg(-1) cell protein and the choline incorporated could be recovered in the soluble fraction as free choline, phosphorylcholine and CDP-choline. Choline accumulation by M. fermentans resulted in a marked choline depletion of the growth medium. The choline depletion of an astrocyte cell culture induced by M. fermentans was associated with the apoptotic death of the cells. Apoptosis was not obtained with heat-inactivated mycoplasmas and could be reversed by the addition of free choline to the growth medium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Membrane and Ultrastructure Research, The Hebrew University-Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ben-Menachem
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mousa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Zähringer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rottem
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D001693:Biological Transport, Active; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002855:Chromatography, Thin Layer; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D003566:Cytidine Diphosphate Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D006358:Hot Temperature; D007700:Kinetics; D016858:Mycoplasma fermentans / Q000502:physiology*; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D010767:Phosphorylcholine; D003566:Cytidine Diphosphate Choline; D002794:Choline