title: Localization of nocistatin-binding sites in mice brain and spinal cord using a biotinylated nocistatin probe.
abstract: Nocistatin and nociceptin/orphanin FQ are two neuropeptides processed from the same precursor prepronociceptin. They have opposing roles in nociception and several other biological functions. Whereas the location and structure of the nociceptin/orphanin FQ receptors has been defined, the location of the nocistatin receptors remains unknown. In the course of this study, we synthesized a novel probe for histochemistry by linking biotin to the N terminus of nocistatin, and purified this with high-pressure liquid chromatography and confirmed the structure by mass spectrometer. Using this probe, we found nocistatin-binding sites in the cerebral cortex and the dorsal horn nucleus of the spinal cord. We also found that the nocistatin-binding sites were in the cell body, whereas the nociceptin/orphanin FQ binding sites were on the fibrous processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore. anaajk@nus.edu.sg
authors.forename: Jamil Ahsan
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kazi
authors.forename: Eugene H C
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Tat L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Shinro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tachibana
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000187:drug effects; D019921:Biotinylation / Q000379:methods; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D018847:Opioid Peptides / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018847:Opioid Peptides; C111148:nocistatin