Equilibrium binding and transport by vesicular acetylcholine transporter.

The method describes production and the selection of neurosecretory PC12A123.7 cells stably transfected with human vesicular acetylcholine transporter (hVAChT). Transfected cells provide postnuclear supernatant used to characterize equilibrium binding of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh), the pH dependence for transport of ACh, and the rate behavior for dissociation of the allosteric, high-affinity inhibitor vesamicol. Retention of radiolabeled ACh or vesamicol, mediated by hVAChT in synaptic-like microvesicles of postnuclear supernatant, is measured using filter assays. The procedure for regression analysis of data also is described.