Cloning of a Delta Opioid Receptor by Functional Expression

• DOI: 10.1126/science.1335167
• Publication Date: 2006-10-05T19:03:06Z
• Authors: Christopher J. Evans; Duane E. Keith; Heather Morrison; Karin Magendzo; Robert H. Edwards
• Keywords: Narcotics; 0303 health sciences; Naloxone; Molecular Sequence Data; Diprenorphine; Etorphine; Gene Expression; Enkephalins; Blotting, Northern; Binding, Competitive; Protein Structure, Secondary; Cell Line; 3. Good health; Models, Structural; Blotting, Southern; Kinetics; 03 medical and health sciences; Receptors, Opioid, delta; Cyclic AMP; Animals; Humans; Amino Acid Sequence; Enkephalin, D-Penicillamine (2,5)-

Opiate drugs have potent analgesic and addictive properties. These drugs interact with receptors that also mediate the response to endogenous opioid peptide ligands. However, the receptors for opioids have eluded definitive molecular characterization. By transient expression in COS cells and screening with an iodinated analog of the opioid peptide enkephalin, a complementary DNA clone encoding a functional δ opioid receptor has been identified. The sequence shows homology to G protein-coupled receptors, in particular the receptors for somatostatin, angiotensin, and interleukin-8.