A vinblastine sensitive high affinity choline uptake system.

1. The Limulus cardiac ganglion high affinity choline uptake system (HAChUS) was inhibited 40, 51 and 64% following pre-exposure to 10, 100 and 500 microM vinblastine, respectively. 2. In contrast, high affinity uptake of choline in the Limulus corpora pedunculata and abdominal ganglia, tissues in which a cholinergic function has been described, were unaffected. 3. In pulse-chase experiments, the cardiac ganglion was incubated in 0.1 microM [3H]choline for 60 min and then switched to an incubation medium containing 1 mM unlabelled choline for varying periods of time. 4. Under these conditions, a 3-fold increase of radiolabel above basal level was measured in the pellet fraction within 2 hr of post-labelling incubation. 5. Prior exposure of the ganglion to 500 microM vinblastine completely eliminated this increase of radioactivity in the pellet fraction. 6. Treatment of the radiolabelled pellet fraction with phospholipase C resulted in the solubilization of 72% of the radiolabel. 7. Ten (10) microM 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), a concentration previously shown to inhibit spontaneous electrical activity within the cardiac ganglion, resulted in a 40% decrease in high affinity choline uptake in this tissue selectively. 8. These results are consistent with the view that a probable role of the Limulus cardiac ganglion HAChUS is the supply of choline subserving the synthesis of membrane phospholipid. 9. It is further speculated that this membrane phospholipid synthesis may be associated with synaptic vesicle turnover.