title: Selective inhibition of synaptosomal proline uptake by leucine and methionine enkephalins.
abstract: The high affinity, sodium-dependent uptake of proline by rat brain synaptosomes was inhibited by the opioid pentapeptides, Leu-enkephalin and Met-enkephalin. The synaptosomal uptake of other putative neurotransmitter amino acids including glutamic acid, aspartic acid, gamma-aminobutyric acid, and taurine was not altered in the presence of enkephalins. The uptake of a neuroinactive amino acid, leucine, was also unaffected by enkephalins. The extent of proline uptake was half-maximal at a Leu-enkephalin concentration of 1 microM. Both the initial rate of transport and the overall capacity for proline accumulation were reduced. The effect of the enkephalins was vectorial since carrier-mediated efflux of proline was not altered in the presence of enkephalins. Morphine and the opioid peptides, dynorphin and beta-endorphin, were without effect on proline uptake. The inhibition of proline uptake by enkephalins was not diminished by prior incubation of the synaptosomal preparation with naloxone; however, the inhibition was attenuated by 1-butanol. The des-tyrosyl fragments of the enkephalins were as inhibitory as the intact pentapeptides. A modified enkephalin ([D-Ser2]Leu-enkephalin-Thr) with selective affinity for the delta subclass of enkephalin receptor was effective in inhibiting proline uptake. On the basis of the selectivity of these effects, we propose that there is a specific population of nerve endings in the cerebral cortex that contains both a proline-transport system and binding sites for Leu- and Met-enkephalin and furthermore, that these binding sites may be related to the putative delta receptor.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D001692:Biological Transport / Q000187:drug effects; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005971:Glutamates / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D007700:Kinetics; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013574:Synaptosomes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013654:Taurine / Q000378:metabolism; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005971:Glutamates; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D013654:Taurine; D001224:Aspartic Acid; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine; D004743:Enkephalin, Leucine; D011392:Proline