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Distribution and targeting of a mu-opioid receptor (MOR1) in brain and spinal cord
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1995
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Opioid EpidemicPain MedicineSynaptic TransmissionNeurotransmitterOpioid ReceptorNeurotransmissionNeurologyNeurochemistryMu-opioid ReceptorHealth SciencesMolecular NeurosciencePostsynaptic MechanismsNeuropharmacologyAnti-peptide AntiseraPharmacologyPain ResearchSynaptic PlasticityNeurophysiologyNeuroanatomyNeuropeptide ReceptorNeuroscienceOpioid OverdoseCentral Nervous SystemMedicineOpioid Use Disorder
Opioid receptors regulate neuronal activity by both pre‑ and postsynaptic mechanisms. The study examined the distribution and targeting of the mu‑opioid receptor (MOR1) by generating anti‑peptide antisera against its C‑terminal region. Antisera specificity was validated through transfected cell analysis, Western blotting, and immunoisolation experiments. Immunohistochemistry showed MOR1 is enriched in cortical, striatal, hippocampal, locus coeruleus, and dorsal horn areas, mainly localized to somatodendritic compartments but also present on axons of certain neurons, with enkephalin‑containing axons complementary, providing a morphological basis for its pre‑ and postsynaptic functions.
Opioid receptors regulate neuronal activity by both pre- and postsynaptic mechanisms. We recently reported that the cloned delta-opioid receptor (DOR1) is primarily targeted to axons, suggesting a presynaptic role. In the present study we have studied the distribution and targeting of another opioid receptor, the mu-opioid receptor (MOR1), by raising anti-peptide antisera to the C-terminal peptide of MOR1. The specificity of the antisera was determined by analysis of transfected cells, Western blots, and immunoisolation studies. Immunohistochemistry showed that MOR1 immunoreactivity was enriched in many brain areas including cerebral cortex, striatum, hippocampus, locus coeruleus, and the superficial laminae of the dorsal horn. Moreover, MOR1-expressing neurons seem to target this receptor preferentially to their somatodendritic domain as determined by double-labeling experiments with MAP2. However, discrete populations of neurons target MOR1 to their axons, including some primary afferent neurons that express DOR1. In many regions enkephalin-containing axons were complementary to MOR1, suggesting by their proximity that enkephalins may be physiologically relevant ligands for this receptor. Thus, these results provide a morphological basis for understanding pre- and postsynaptic functions mediated by MOR1.