High Affinity Choline Transporter (ChT)

Choline is a direct precursor of acetylcholine (ACh), a neurotransmitter of the central and peripheral nervous system that regulates a variety of autonomic, cognitive, and motor functions. SLC5A7 is a Na(+)- and Cl(-)- dependent high-affinity transporter that mediates the uptake of choline for acetylcholine synthesis in cholinergic neurons.The deduced 580-amino acid protein has a calculated molecular mass of 63.2 kD.

CHT has 13 transmembrane (TM) domains, a short extracellular N terminus, and a long cytoplasmic C terminus. It contains 3 putative N-glycosylation sites and several phosphorylation sites. CHT shares 93% amino acid identity with rat Cht and 51% amino acid identity with its nematode homolog, Cho1.