sIGH AFFINITY CHOLINE TRANSPORTER

摘要

A protein having a high affinity choline transporter activity which is important physiologically; a gene encoding the protein; and a method of screening a substance promoting the high affinity choline transporter activity with the use of the same, etc. The high affinity choline uptake activity of Na<+>-dependent transporter cDNA deduced from the genomic sequence of a nematode (C. elegans) is examined in a Xenopus laevis oocyte expression system to thereby identify the cDNA (cho-1) of nematode high affinity choline transporter. By using the homology of a base sequence with this cDNA as an indication, the cDNA (CHT1) of rat high affinity choline transporter is cloned from rat spinal cord. Similarly, the cDNA of human high affinity choline transporter is cloned from human genome.