Choline cannot be replaced by propanolamine in mice

Zhaoyu Li, Dennis E. Vance

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

5 Scopus citations

Abstract

Choline is an important nutrient for humans and animals. Animals obtain choline from the diet and from the catabolism of phosphatidylcholine made by phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PEMT). The unique model of complete choline deprivation is Pemt-/- mice that are fed a choline-deficient diet. This model, therefore, can be used for the examination of choline substitutes in mammalian systems. Recently, propanolamine was found to be a replacement for choline in yeast. Thus, we tested to see whether or not choline can be replaced by propanolamine in mice. Mice were fed a choline-deficient diet and supplemented with either methionine, 2-amino-propanol, 2-amino-isopropanol and 3-amino-propanol. We were unable to detect the formation of any of the possible phosphatidylpropanolamines. Moreover, none of them prevented liver damage, reduction of hepatic phosphatidylcholine levels or fatty liver induced in choline-deficient-Pemt-/- mice. These results suggest that choline in mice cannot be replaced by any of the three propanolamine derivatives.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)486-490
Number of pages5
JournalBiochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids
Volume1771
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2007

Keywords

  • Choline
  • Choline-deficient
  • Phosphatidylcholine
  • Phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase
  • Propanolamine

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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