Acetylcholine and carnitine sensitive growth in a Drosophila cell line

Growth yield in cultures of Schneider's line 2 cells was studied as a function of plating cell density. It was measured in the presence of various neurotransmitters, hormones and related chemicals. Of these, acetylcholine and carnitine were studied in detail. Both significantly increased growth yields at low plating cell densities. Atropine and tubocurarine significantly reduced growth yield, suggesting the presence of a cholinergic-like receptor. Cell populations were incubated with [14C]choline and uptake occurred. The [14C]choline was incorporated into the production of secreted molecules which comigrated with carnitine offering evidence for carnitine production and secretion.