Distribution and targeting of a mu-opioid receptor (MOR1) in brain and spinal cord.
Opioid receptors regulate neuronal activity by both pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms. We recently reported that the cloned delta-opioid receptor (DOR1) is primarily targeted to axons, suggesting a presynaptic role. In the present study we have studied the distribution and targeting of another opioid receptor, the mu-opioid receptor (MOR1), by raising anti-peptide antisera to the C-terminal peptide of MOR1. The specificity of the antisera was determined by analysis of transfected cells, Western blots, and immunoisolation studies. Immunohistochemistry showed that MOR1 immunoreactivity was enriched in many brain areas including cerebral cortex, striatum, hippocampus, locus coeruleus, and the superficial laminae of the dorsal horn. Moreover, MOR1-expressing neurons seem to target this receptor preferentially to their somatodendritic domain as determined by double-labeling experiments with MAP2. However, discrete populations of neurons target MOR1 to their axons, including some primary afferent neurons that express DOR1. In many regions enkephalin-containing axons were complementary to MOR1, suggesting by their proximity that enkephalins may be physiologically relevant ligands for this receptor. Thus, these results provide a morphological basis for understanding pre- and postsynaptic functions mediated by MOR1.
Arvidsson
U
U
Department of Cell Biology and Neuroanatomy, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55455, USA.
Riedl
M
M
Chakrabarti
S
S
Lee
J H
JH
Nakano
A H
AH
Dado
R J
RJ
Loh
H H
HH
Law
P Y
PY
Wessendorf
M W
MW
Elde
R
R
D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000378:metabolism; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D001369:Axons / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000378:metabolism; D017931:DNA Primers; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000378:metabolism; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011817:Rabbits / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta / Q000096:biosynthesis; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013917:Thrombin / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection
D000906:Antibodies; D017931:DNA Primers; D008869:Microtubule-Associated Proteins; C000593230:Oprd1 protein, rat; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013917:Thrombin