Interaction of the mu-opioid receptor with synaptophysin influences receptor trafficking and signaling

Mol Pharmacol. 2007 Jan;71(1):123-31. doi: 10.1124/mol.106.026062. Epub 2006 Sep 27.

Abstract

There is increasing evidence that the signal transduction of opioid receptors is modulated by receptor-associated proteins. In the search for proteins regulating mu-opioid receptor (MOPr) endocytosis, synaptophysin was found to bind to the rat micro-opioid receptor in yeast two-hybrid assay. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments and bioluminescence resonance energy transfer assays confirmed that the micro-opioid receptor constitutively interacts with synaptophysin in human embryonic kidney 293 cells overexpressing MOPr and synaptophysin. In this study, we show that overexpression of synaptophysin enhances the micro-opioid receptor endocytosis. One explanation for the observed effects is that synaptophysin recruits dynamin to the plasma membrane, facilitating fission of clathrin-coated vesicles. This suggestion is supported by our finding that overexpression of a synaptophysin truncation mutant, which breaks the interaction between synaptophysin and dynamin, prevents agonist-mediated micro-opioid receptor endocytosis. In addition, the synaptophysin-augmented micro-opioid receptor trafficking leads to attenuated agonist-induced receptor desensitization and faster receptor resensitization. Taken together, our findings strongly suggest that synaptophysin plays an important role in the regulation of micro-opioid receptor trafficking and signaling.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Line
  • Chromatography, Affinity
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • DNA Primers
  • Down-Regulation
  • Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)- / pharmacology
  • Humans
  • Kidney
  • Kinetics
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Protein Transport
  • Radioligand Assay
  • Receptors, Opioid, mu / genetics
  • Receptors, Opioid, mu / physiology*
  • Recombinant Proteins / metabolism
  • Restriction Mapping
  • Signal Transduction
  • Synaptophysin / metabolism*

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • Receptors, Opioid, mu
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Synaptophysin
  • Enkephalin, Ala(2)-MePhe(4)-Gly(5)-