title: Functional expression of mammalian opioid receptors in insect cells and high-throughput screening platforms for receptor ligand mimetics.
abstract: Lepidopteran cell lines have been engineered to constitutively express high levels of mouse delta opioid receptors either alone or in combination with human Galpha16 protein. Biochemical and pharmacological studies demonstrate that these lines contain all the mediator G proteins and downstream effectors required for opioid receptor function, including phospholipase C, and that expression of exogenous Galpha16 does not contribute significantly to increased receptor responses upon activation. The activation of the phospholipase C pathway in the transformed cells upon stimulation with known receptor ligands results in easily and quantitatively measurable increases in free intracellular calcium, which can be monitored by automated fluorescent methods, while the addition of specific antagonists blocks the agonist-induced responses. Therefore, the transformed lepidopteran cell lines can be used as sensitive high-throughput screening platforms for fast detection of delta opioid receptor ligand mimetics (agonists and antagonists) in collections of natural products and synthetic compounds.
authors.affiliation: Insect Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Group, Institute of Biology, National Centre for Scientific Research Demokritos, 153 10 Aghia Paraskevi Attikis, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Swevers
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morou
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Balatsos
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iatrou
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Georgoussi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004174:Diprenorphine / Q000494:pharmacology; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D000072181:Inositol Polyphosphate 5-Phosphatases; D007313:Insecta / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018847:Opioid Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects; D010738:Type C Phospholipases / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018847:Opioid Peptides; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D004174:Diprenorphine; D010744:Phosphoric Monoester Hydrolases; D000072181:Inositol Polyphosphate 5-Phosphatases; D010738:Type C Phospholipases; D019204:GTP-Binding Proteins; D002118:Calcium