A Bacterial Artificial Chromosome (BAC) containing the mouse Slc5a7 gene was used to make transgenic mice. Mice show elevated choline transporter and acetylcholine levels and increased treadmill endurance. These mice permit the study of elevated presynaptic choline transporter protein in vivo, expressed solely in cholinergic neurons due to the BAC providing the natural, endogenous promoter for CHT expression. The mice demonstrate elevated choline transport activity and as a consequence elevated acetycholine production. They may permit an assessment of phenotypes that may emerge with acetylcholine augmentation therapy, treatment with pharmacological stimulators of choline transport either through direct study or crossing them to other mutant lines where cholinergic augmentation might be advisable to rescue/modify phenotypes.
References:
Neurochem Int. 2014 Jul;73:217-28. doi: 10.1016/j.neuint.2013.11.008. Epub 2013 Nov 22 .