Regulation Of The High-Affinity Choline Transporter Activity And Trafficking In Alzheimer’S Disease-Related Pathological Conditions, Leah K. Cuddy

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Cholinergic neurons play a key role in cognitive processes through the action of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh). Dysfunction of these neurons occurs in several neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The high-affinity choline transporter CHT recycles choline back into synaptic terminals, which is the rate-limiting step to ACh production. CHT proteins traffic between the cell surface and subcellular organelles in a constitutive manner, which maintains plasma membrane transporter levels, thereby regulating CHT activity and maintaining cholinergic transmission. Pathological conditions associated with AD may alter CHT function in a manner that reduces choline uptake activity and impairs cholinergic neurotransmission. Thus, my …