title: Detection of the high-affinity choline transporter in the MOLT-3 human leukemic T-cell line.
abstract: We previously showed that lymphocytes possess the necessary components to constitute an independent, non-neuronal cholinergic system; these include acetylcholine (ACh) itself, choline acetyltransferase (the ACh-synthesizing enzyme), and both muscarinic and nicotinic ACh receptors (AChRs). In addition, we showed that stimulation of AChRs with their respective agonists elicits a variety of biochemical and functional effects, suggesting that lymphocytic cholinergic system is involved in the regulation of immune function. In nerve terminals, choline taken up via the high-affinity choline transporter (CHT1) is exclusively utilized for ACh synthesis. In the present study, therefore, we investigated the expression of CHT1 in T-lymphocytes. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed that MOLT-3 cells, a human leukemic T-cell line used as a T-lymphocyte model, expressed CHT1 mRNA, but that the CEM and Jurkat T-cell lines did not. Consistent with that finding, specific binding of [3H]hemicholinium-3 (HC-3), an inhibitor of CHT1, and HC-3-sensitive [3H]choline uptake were also detected in MOLT-3 cells. These results suggest that CHT1 plays a role in mediating choline uptake in T-lymphocytes and provides further evidence for the presence of an independent lymphocytic cholinergic system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Kyoritsu College of Pharmacy, 1-5-30 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8512, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujii
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okuda
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haga
authors.forename: Koichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kawashima
mesh_terms: D002460:Cell Line; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D018678:Cholinergic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D006426:Hemicholinium 3 / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D049990:Membrane Transport Modulators; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018678:Cholinergic Agents; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D049990:Membrane Transport Modulators; D026901:Membrane Transport Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C065637:choline transporter; D006426:Hemicholinium 3; D002794:Choline