Acetylcholine is the most common neurotransmitter found in specialized vesicles of nerve cells. The regulation of the amount of acetylcholine is critical since this neurochemical is important in nerve cell communication. The goal of this research is to study the chemical nature of the molecules which transport acetylcholine into storage vesicles. Biochemical and immunochemical techniques will be used to purify and sequence peptides associated with the binding sites. The investigator has developed and synthesized specialized molecules which can react with the transport molecule by labeling the molecule for further chemical analysis. In addition to examining the chemical nature of the transport molecule, this study will provide more information on other functions in which the acetylcholine transporter complex might perform in the cholinergic nerve terminal.
