Tetrapeptide endomorphin analogs require both full length and truncated splice variants of the mu opioid receptor gene Oprm1 for analgesia Journal Article


Authors: Marrone, G. F.; Lu, Z.; Rossi, G.; Narayan, A.; Hunkele, A.; Marx, S.; Xu, J.; Pintar, J.; Majumdar, S.; Pan, Y. X.; Pasternak, G. W.
Article Title: Tetrapeptide endomorphin analogs require both full length and truncated splice variants of the mu opioid receptor gene Oprm1 for analgesia
Abstract: The mu opioid receptor gene undergoes extensive alternative splicing. Mu opioids can be divided into three classes based on the role of different groups of splice variants. Morphine and methadone require only full length seven transmembrane (7TM) variants for analgesia, whereas IBNtxA (3′-iodobenzyol-6β-naltrexamide) needs only truncated 6TM variants. A set of endomorphin analogs fall into a third group that requires both 6TM and 7TM splice variants. Unlike morphine, endomorphin 1 and 2, DAPP (Dmt,d-Ala-Phe-Phe-NH2), and IDAPP (3′-iodo-Dmt-d-Ala-Phe-Phe-NH2) analgesia was lost in an exon 11 knockout mouse lacking 6TM variants. Restoring 6TM variant expression in a knockout mouse lacking both 6TM and 7TM variants failed to rescue DAPP or IDAPP analgesia. However, re-establishing 6TM expression in an exon 11 knockout mouse that still expressed 7TM variants did rescue the response, consistent with the need for both 6TM and 7TM variants. In receptor binding assays, 125I-IDAPP labeled more sites (Bmax) than 3H-DAMGO ([d-Ala2,N-MePhe4,Gly(ol)5]-enkephalin) in wild-type mice. In exon 11 knockout mice, 125I-IDAPP binding was lowered to levels similar to 3H-DAMGO, which remained relatively unchanged compared to wild-type mice. 125I-IDAPP binding was totally lost in an exon 1/exon 11 knockout model lacking all Oprm1 variant expression, confirming that the drug was not cross labeling non-mu opioid receptors. These findings suggested that 125I-IDAPP labeled two populations of mu binding sites in wild-type mice, one corresponding to 7TM variants and the second dependent upon 6TM variants. Together, these data indicate that endomorphin analogs represent a unique, genetically defined, and distinct class of mu opioid analgesic. © 2016 American Chemical Society.
Keywords: alternative splicing; morphine; analgesia; mu opioid receptor; g-protein coupled receptor; endorphin
Journal Title: ACS Chemical Neuroscience
Volume: 7
Issue: 12
ISSN: 1948-7193
Publisher: American Chemical Society  
Date Published: 2016-12-21
Start Page: 1717
End Page: 1727
Language: English
DOI: 10.1021/acschemneuro.6b00240
PROVIDER: scopus
PMCID: PMC5177531
PUBMED: 27648914
DOI/URL:
Notes: Article -- Export Date: 2 February 2017 -- Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. Yingxian Pan
    132 Pan
  2. Zhigang Lu
    11 Lu
  3. Gavril W Pasternak
    414 Pasternak
  4. Gina   Marrone
    14 Marrone
  5. Jin   Xu
    60 Xu
  6. Amanda Joy Hunkele
    17 Hunkele