title: Immunoprecipitation of high-affinity, guanine nucleotide-sensitive, solubilized mu-opioid receptors from rat brain: coimmunoprecipitation of the G proteins G(alpha o), G(alpha i1), and G(alpha i3).
abstract: Antibodies directed against the C-terminal and the N-terminal regions of the mu-opioid receptor were generated to identify the G proteins that coimmunoprecipitate with the mu receptor. Two fusion proteins were constructed: One contained the 50 C-terminal amino acids of the mu receptor, and the other contained 61 amino acids near the N terminus of the receptor. Antisera directed against both fusion proteins were capable of immunoprecipitating approximately 70% of solubilized rat brain mu receptors as determined by [3H][D-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly-ol5]-enkephalin ([3H]DAMGO) saturation binding. The material immunoprecipitated with both of the antisera was recognized as a broad band with a molecular mass between 60 and 75 kDa when screened in a western blot. Guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTPgammaS) had an EC50 of 0.4 nM in diminishing [3H]DAMGO binding to the immunoprecipitated pellet. The ratio of G proteins to mu receptors in the immunoprecipitated material was 1:1. When the material immunoprecipitated with affinity-purified antibody was screened for the presence of G protein a subunits, it was determined that G(alpha)o, G(alpha)i1, G(alpha)i3, and to a lesser extent G(alpha)i2, but not G(alpha)s or G(alpha)q11, were coimmunoprecipitated with the mu receptor. Inclusion of GTPgammaS during the immunoprecipitation process abolished the coimmunoprecipitation of G proteins.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland 20814-4799, USA.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chalecka-Franaszek
authors.forename: H B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Weems
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Crowder
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Côté
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001667:Binding, Competitive; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D020875:Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)- / Q000378:metabolism; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006150:Guanine Nucleotides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016244:Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate) / Q000494:pharmacology; D011233:Precipitin Tests; D051381:Rats; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu / Q000378:metabolism*; D012995:Solubility
chemical_list: D006150:Guanine Nucleotides; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D020875:Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-; D016244:Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate); D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins