Choline plays a central role in many physiological pathways, including neurotransmitter synthesis (acetylcholine), cell-membrane signaling (phospholipids), lipid transport (lipoproteins), and methyl-group metabolism (homocysteine reduction). Endurance exercise might stress several of these pathways, increasing the demand for choline as a metabolic substrate. This review examines the current lit...

In contrast with results on the rat, in the rabbit no arteriovenous differences were found in the plasma concentrations of free choline, phosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylcholine. The phospholipid values agreed with those of Nelson (1967). Blood samples were taken at intervals and the blood volume was replaced by infusing a dextran solution in which blood cells from earlier samplings were...

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in choline metabolizing genes are associated with disease risk and greater susceptibility to organ dysfunction under conditions of dietary choline restriction. However, the underlying metabolic signatures of these variants are not well characterized and it is unknown whether genotypic differences persist at recommended choline intakes. Thus, we sought to d...

BACKGROUND In 1998 choline Adequate Intakes of 425 and 450 mg/d were established for nonpregnant and pregnant women, respectively. However, to our knowledge, no dose-response studies have been conducted to evaluate the effects of pregnancy or maternal choline intake on biomarkers of choline metabolism. OBJECTIVE We sought to quantify the effects of pregnancy and maternal choline intake on mat...

The CKI1-encoded choline kinase (ATP:choline phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.32) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was phosphorylated in vivo on multiple serine residues. Activation of protein kinase A activity in vivo resulted in a transient increase in the phosphorylation of choline kinase. This phosphorylation was accompanied by a stimulation in choline kinase activity. In vitro, protein kinase A p...

Recent developments in nutrition have established that choline is an essential nutrient for mammals when a sufficient supply in methionine and folates are not available in the diet. Vitamin B12 is also involved in this process. The dynamic interactions between these components introduced the concept of choline as vitamin-like compound. Two types of choline functions are known: as choline per se...

When type II pneumonocytes from adult rats were maintained in a medium that lacked choline, the incorporation of ['4C]glycerol into phosphatidylcholine was not greatly diminished during the period that the cells displayed characteristics of type II pneumonocytes. Cells that were maintained in choline-free medium that contained choline oxidase and catalase, however, became depleted of choline an...

Choline is required to make essential membrane phospholipids. It is a precursor for the biosynthesis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and also is an important source of labile methyl groups. Mammals fed a choline-deficient diet develop liver dysfunction; however, choline is not considered an essential nutrient in humans. Healthy male volunteers were hospitalized and fed a semisynthetic die...

Choline is an essential nutrient, and the amount needed in the diet is modulated by several factors. Given geographical differences in dietary choline intake and disparate frequencies of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in choline metabolism genes between ethnic groups, we tested the hypothesis that 3 SNPs that increase dependence on dietary choline would be under negative selection press...