Merck, ABN100, Anti-Vesicular Acetylcholine Transporter (VAChT) Antibody

Acetylcholine mediates cholinergic transmission in the central and peripheral nervous systems, and is an important modulator of cognition, movement, and cardiovascular function, among other processes. The effects of acetylcholine are regulated by its synthesis, storage, and breakdown, which involve the related enzymes choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), respectively. VAChT is primarily found in the membrane of presynaptic secretory vesicles. It contains 12 transmembrane domains and a synaptic-vesicular–targeting signal located on the intracellular C-terminal tail. The primary function of VAChT is to actively transport cytoplasmic ACh, across an electrochemical gradient, into synaptic vesicles that release ACh upon cell stimulation. The VAChT can affect cholinergic signaling by affecting the relative pools of ACh secreted to activate postsynaptic nicotinic and muscarinic receptors. VAChT is phosphorylated on its serine 480 residue in the C-terminal tail by protein kinase C. Although the precise role of this modification is still unclear, previous studies suggest that it may affect the localization of VAChT to synaptic vesicles.