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MFSD7c functions as a transporter of choline at the blood-brain barrier.
Cell Res. 34, 245-257 (2024)
Mutations in the orphan transporter MFSD7c (also known as Flvcr2), are linked to Fowler syndrome. Here, we used Mfsd7c knockout (Mfsd7c-/-) mice and cell-based assays to reveal that MFSD7c is a choline transporter at the blood-brain barrier (BBB). We performed comprehensive metabolomics analysis and detected differential changes of metabolites in the brains and livers of Mfsd7c-/-embryos. Particularly, we found that choline-related metabolites were altered in the brains but not in the livers of Mfsd7c-/- embryos. Thus, we hypothesized that MFSD7c regulates the level of choline in the brain. Indeed, expression of human MFSD7c in cells significantly increased choline uptake. Interestingly, we showed that choline uptake by MFSD7c is greatly increased by choline-metabolizing enzymes, leading us to demonstrate that MFSD7c is a facilitative transporter of choline. Furthermore, single-cell patch clamp analysis showed that the import of choline by MFSD7c is electrogenic. Choline transport function of MFSD7c was shown to be conserved in vertebrates, but not in yeasts. We demonstrated that human MFSD7c is a functional ortholog of HNM1, the yeast choline importer. We also showed that several missense mutations identified in patients exhibiting Fowler syndrome had abolished or reduced choline transport activity. Mice lacking Mfsd7c in endothelial cells of the central nervous system suppressed the import of exogenous choline from blood but unexpectedly had increased choline levels in the brain. Stable-isotope tracing study revealed that MFSD7c was required for exporting choline derived from lysophosphatidylcholine in the brain. Collectively, our work identifies MFSD7c as a choline exporter at the BBB and provides a foundation for future work to reveal the disease mechanisms of Fowler syndrome.
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Publication type
Article: Journal article
Document type
Scientific Article
Keywords
Hydranencephaly-hydrocephaly Syndrome; Fowler Syndrome; Proliferative Vasculopathy; Prostate-cancer; Flvcr2; Mutations; Acetylcholine; Metabolism; Reveals
ISSN (print) / ISBN
1001-0602
e-ISSN
1748-7838
Journal
Cell Research
Quellenangaben
Volume: 34,
Issue: 3,
Pages: 245-257
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
Publishing Place
Shanghai
Non-patent literature
Publications
Reviewing status
Peer reviewed
Grants
SG Academies South-East Asia Fellowship - National Research Foundation
Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine of the National University of Singapore
Singapore Ministry of Education
Singapore Ministry of Health's National Research Council
Ministry of Education - Singapore (MOE)
Synthetic Biology Translational Research Programme of the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine of the National University of Singapore
Singapore Ministry of Education
Singapore Ministry of Health's National Research Council
Ministry of Education - Singapore (MOE)