For example, it methylates guanidines of DNA and certain lysines of histones. Thus it is part of gene expression and epigenetic regulation. Choline deficiency thus leads to elevated homocysteine levels and decreased SAM levels in blood. Content in foods
Choline occurs in foods as a free molecule and in the form of phospholipids, especially as phosphatidylcholines. Choline is highest in organ meats and egg yolks though it is found to a lesser degree in non-organ meats, grains, vegetables, fruit and dairy products. Cooking oils and other food fats have about 5 mg/100 g of total choline. In the United States, food labels express the amount of choline in a serving as a percentage of daily value (%DV) based on the adequate intake of 550 mg/day. 100% of the daily value means that a serving of food has 550 mg of choline. "Total choline" is defined as the sum of free choline and choline-containing phospholipids, without accounting for mass fraction.Human breast milk is rich in choline. Exclusive breastfeeding corresponds to about 120 mg of choline per day for the baby. Increase in a mothers choline intake raises the choline content of breast milk and low intake decreases it. Infant formulas may or may not contain enough choline. In the EU and the US, it is mandatory to add at least 7 mg of choline per 100 kilocalories (kcal) to every infant formula. In the EU, levels above 50 mg/100 kcal are not allowed.Trimethylglycine is a functional metabolite of choline. It substitutes for choline nutritionally, but only partially.
Nephronophthisis is a genetic disorder of the kidneys which affects children. It is classified as a medullary cystic kidney disease. The disorder is inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion and, although rare, is the most common genetic cause of childhood kidney failure. It is a form of ciliopathy. Its incidence has been estimated to be 0.9 cases per million people in the United States, and 1 in 50,000 births in Canada. Signs and symptoms
Infantile, juvenile, and adolescent forms of nephronophthisis have been identified. Although the range of characterizations is broad, people affected by nephronophthisis typically present with polyuria (production of a large volume of urine), polydipsia (excessive liquid intake), and after several months to years, end-stage kidney disease, a condition necessitating either dialysis or a kidney transplant in order to survive. Some individuals with nephronophthisis also have so-called "extra-renal symptoms" which can include tapetoretinal degeneration, liver problems, oculomotor apraxia, and cone-shaped epiphysis (Saldino-Mainzer syndrome). Cause
Nephronophthisis is characterized by fibrosis and the formation of cysts at the cortico-medullary junction, it is an autosomal recessive disorder which eventually leads to terminal kidney failure. Pathophysiology
Mechanism of nephronophthisis indicates that all proteins mutated in cystic kidney diseases express themselves in primary cilia. NPHP gene mutations cause defects in signaling resulting in flaws of planar cell polarity. The ciliary theory indicates that  multiple organs are involved in NPHP (retinal degeneration, cerebellar hypoplasia, liver fibrosis, and intellectual disability). Related rare genetic disorders
Nephronophthisis is a ciliopathy.