title: Calcitonin receptor-like receptor is expressed on gastrointestinal immune cells.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pharmacological and morphological studies suggest that the gut mucosal immune system and local neuropeptide-containing neurones interact. We aimed to determine whether gut immune cells are targets for calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), which has potent immune regulatory properties.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using density gradient centrifugation, rat lamina propria mononuclear cells (LP-MNCs) and intra-epithelial lymphocytes (IELs) were isolated. RT-PCR was employed for the detection of mRNA of rat calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CRLR), which is considered to represent the pharmacologically defined CGRP receptor-1 subtype, as well as mRNA of the receptor activity-modifying proteins, which are essential for CRLR function and determine ligand specificity. A radioreceptor assay was employed for the detection of specific CGRP binding sites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  RT-PCR and DNA sequencing showed that LP-MNCs and IELs express CRLR. Incubation of isolated LP-MNCs with radiolabelled alphaCGRP revealed the existence of specific binding sites for CGRP.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These novel data indicate that mucosal immune cells of the rat gut are a target for CGRP and provide significant evidence that CGRP functions as an immune regulator in the gut mucosa.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology, Philipps University, Marburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hagner
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Knauer
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haberberger
authors.forename: Burkhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Göke
authors.forename: Karlheinz
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Voigt
authors.forename: Gerard Patrick
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: McGregor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D058286:Calcitonin Receptor-Like Protein; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D011869:Radioligand Assay; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D058261:Receptor Activity-Modifying Proteins; D018003:Receptors, Calcitonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D058286:Calcitonin Receptor-Like Protein; C545580:Calcrl protein, rat; D047908:Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D058261:Receptor Activity-Modifying Proteins; D018003:Receptors, Calcitonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide