Choline transporter-like protein 4 (CTL4) links to non-neuronal acetylcholine synthesis.

Synthesis of acetylcholine (ACh) by non-neuronal cells is now well established and plays diverse physiologic roles. In neurons, the Na(+) -dependent, high affinity choline transporter (CHT1) is absolutely required for ACh synthesis. In contrast, some non-neuronal cells synthesize ACh in the absence of CHT1 indicating a fundamental difference in ACh synthesis compared to neurons. The aim of this study was to identify choline transporters, other than CHT1, that play a role in non-neuronal ACh synthesis. ACh synthesis was studied in lung and colon cancer cell lines focusing on the choline transporter-like proteins, a five gene family choline-transporter like protein (CTL)1-5. Supporting a role for CTLs in choline transport in lung cancer cells, choline transport was Na(+) -independent and CTL1-5 were expressed in all cells examined. CTL1, 2, and 5 were expressed at highest levels and knockdown of CTL1, 2, and 5 decreased choline transport in H82 lung cancer cells. Knockdowns of CTL1, 2, 3, and 5 had no effect on ACh synthesis in H82 cells. In contrast, knockdown of CTL4 significantly decreased ACh secretion by both lung and colon cancer cells. Conversely, increasing expression of CTL4 increased ACh secretion. These results indicate that CTL4 mediates ACh synthesis in non-neuronal cell lines and presents a mechanism to target non-neuronal ACh synthesis without affecting neuronal ACh synthesis

Transgenerational epigenetic programming of the embryonic testis transcriptome

AbstractEmbryonic exposure to the endocrine disruptor vinclozolin during gonadal sex determination appears to promote an epigenetic reprogramming of the male germ line that is associated with transgenerational adult-onset disease states. Transgenerational effects on the embryonic day 16 (E16) testis demonstrated reproducible changes in the testis transcriptome for multiple generations (F1–F3). The expression of 196 genes was found to be influenced, with the majority of gene expression being decreased or silenced. Dramatic changes in the gene expression of methyltransferases during gonadal sex determination were observed in the F1 and F2 vinclozolin generation (E16) embryonic testis, but the majority returned to control-generation levels by the F3 generation. The most dramatic effects were on the germ-line-associated Dnmt3A and Dnmt3L isoforms. Observations demonstrate that an embryonic exposure to vinclozolin appears to promote an epigenetic reprogramming of the male germ line that correlates with transgenerational alterations in the testis transcriptome in subsequent generations