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Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Discovery of Driver Genes in Colorectal HT29-derived Cancer Stem-Like Tumorspheres
Published on: July 22, 2020
Is acetylcholine an autocrine/paracrine growth factor via the nicotinic alpha7-receptor subtype in the human colon
Ann Pettersson1, Linn Nilsson, Gunnar Nylund
1School of Pure and Applied Natural Sciences, University of Kalmar, SE-39182 Kalmar, Sweden.
Abstract:
We used immunochemistry to demonstrate expression of acetylcholine's nicotinic alpha7-receptor subtype in human colon cancer cell line HT-29. Moreover, RT-PCR and immunochemistry showed that choline acetyltransferase and acetylcholine esterase, the enzymes responsible for acetylcholine synthesis and degradation, respectively, localise in HT-29 cells. Bromoacetylcholine bromide, an inhibitor of choline acetyltransferase, significantly attenuated basal cell growth. Our findings suggest that acetylcholine might serve as an autocrine/paracrine-or speculatively, even intracrine-signalling molecule in cell line HT-29, thus contributing to carcinogenesis/cancer progression.
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