BackgroundInformation | Acetylcholinemediatescholinergictransmissioninthecentralandperipheralnervoussystems,andisanimportantmodulatorofcognition,movement,andcardiovascularfunction,amongotherprocesses.Theeffectsofacetylcholineareregulatedbyitssynthesis,storage,andbreakdown,whichinvolvetherelatedenzymescholineacetyltransferase(ChAT),vesicularacetylcholinetransporter(VAChT),andacetylcholinesterase(AChE),respectively.VAChTisprimarilyfoundinthemembraneofpresynapticsecretoryvesicles.Itcontains12transmembranedomainsandasynaptic-vesicular–targetingsignallocatedontheintracellularC-terminaltail.TheprimaryfunctionofVAChTistoactivelytransportcytoplasmicACh,acrossanelectRochemicalgrADIent,intosynapticvesiclesthatreleaseAChuponcellstimulation.TheVAChTcanaffectcholinergicsignalingbyaffectingtherelativepoolsofAChsecretedtoactivatepostsynapticnicotinicandmuscarinicreceptors.VAChTisphosphorylatedonitsserine480residueintheC-terminaltailbyproteinkinaseC.Althoughthepreciseroleofthismodificationisstillunclear,previousstudiessuggestthatitmayaffectthelocalizationofVAChTtosynapticvesicles. |