Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

The cholinergic gene locus

L E Eiden1

  • 1Section of Molecular Neuroscience, Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Regulation, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-4090, USA.

Journal of Neurochemistry
|May 29, 1998
PubMed
Summary

Researchers have cloned genes for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), revealing a shared gene locus. This discovery advances understanding of cholinergic neurotransmission and potential treatments for related diseases.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Cardiac fibrosis induced by high-fat diet in ApoE-deficient male mice is exacerbated by genetic deletion of PACAP-PAC1 signaling.

Journal of neuroendocrinology·2025
Same author

PAC1 deficiency reduces chondrogenesis in atherosclerotic lesions of hypercholesterolemic ApoE-deficient mice.

BMC cardiovascular disorders·2023
Same author

Species-specific vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2) expression in mammalian pancreatic beta cells: implications for optimising radioligand-based human beta cell mass (BCM) imaging in animal models.

Diabetologia·2013
Same author

PACAP controls adrenomedullary catecholamine secretion and expression of catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes at high splanchnic nerve firing rates characteristic of stress transduction in male mice.

Endocrinology·2012
Same author

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide controls stimulus-transcription coupling in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis to mediate sustained hormone secretion during stress.

Journal of neuroendocrinology·2011
Same author

Measurement of mRNA specific for preprocholecystokinin in rat caudatoputamen and areas projecting to it.

Neurochemistry international·2010

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics

Background:

  • Messenger RNAs for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT) have been cloned.
  • These molecular tools are crucial for studying acetylcholine synthesis, packaging, and cholinergic system development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the molecular mechanisms of acetylcholine synthesis and vesicular packaging.
  • To explore the genetic regulation and function of the cholinergic system.
  • To understand the role of VAChT and ChAT in neurotransmission and potential therapeutic targets.

Main Methods:

  • Cloning of ChAT and VAChT genes and their messenger RNAs.
  • In vitro assays for VAChT transport function.
  • In vivo manipulation of VAChT expression and acetylcholinesterase levels.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Light and electron microscopic visualization of VAChT and ChAT.

    • Main Results:

    • ChAT and VAChT share a common gene locus and regulatory elements.
    • VAChT transport assays elucidated the bioenergetics of amine accumulation in vesicles.
    • In vivo studies confirmed vesicular exocytosis as the primary mode of acetylcholine transmission.
    • Microscopic visualization enhanced understanding of cholinergic vesicle and synapse formation and function.

    Conclusions:

    • The cholinergic gene locus represents a novel neuronal transcriptional unit.
    • Advances in understanding cholinergic mechanisms accelerate development of pharmacological and gene therapies for neurological disorders.
    • These findings are critical for treating diseases associated with acetylcholine imbalances.