7] Photoaffinity labeling of vesicular acetylcholine transporter from electric organ of Torpedo

Abstract

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the photoaffinity labeling of vesicular acetylcholine transporter from electric organ of torpedo. Torpedo are obtained live from a commercial fisherman or a commercial supplier of marine animals. Pharmacological characterization of the AcCh transporter (VAcChT) began with the demonstration that it can be distinguished from other cholinergic proteins (such as the nicotinic and muscarinic receptors) by its relative insensitivity to known drugs. The compound trans-2-(4-phenylpiperidino)cyclohexanol inhibits the uptake noncompetitively by binding to an enantioselective site in the VAcChT. These findings have been confirmed the hypothesis by Marshall about the action of vesamicol based on physiologic experiments. Extensive structure–activity studies of AcCh and vesamicol have been carried out utilizing synaptic vesicles purified from Torpedo. The isolation of cholinergic synaptic vesicles from electric organ of torpedo are explained in the chapter.