Abstract
Endomorphins (EMs) have been proposed as the endogenous ligand agonists of the μ-opioid receptor; however, no propeptide precursor protein for EMs has been identified. Here, to identify the presumed precursor of EMs, we designed an immunoscreening assay using specific affinity-purified rabbit antisera raised against synthetic EMs in a whole-mouse brain cDNA library. Following this approach, we identify a DNA sequence encoding a protein precursor, which we name proMexneurin, that contains three different peptide sequences: Mexneurin-1 (an EM-like peptide), Mexneurin-2, and Mexneurin-3, a peptide which appears to be unrelated to EMs. RT-PCR analysis and in situ hybridization reveal a widespread distribution of proMexneurin mRNA throughout the mouse brain. Both Mexneurin-1 and Mexneurin-3 peptides display biological activities in the mouse CNS.
Keywords:
endomorphin; opioid peptides; protein precursor.
© 2017 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.
MeSH terms
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Amino Acid Sequence
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Animals
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Base Sequence
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Brain / cytology
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Brain / metabolism*
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Brain / physiology
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Cell Cycle Proteins
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DNA-Binding Proteins
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Evoked Potentials
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Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate) / metabolism
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Hippocampus / cytology
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Hippocampus / metabolism
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Hippocampus / physiology
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Ligands
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Male
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Mice, Inbred BALB C
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / chemistry
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
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Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
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Neurons / cytology
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Neurons / metabolism*
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Neurons / physiology
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Nuclear Proteins / chemistry
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Nuclear Proteins / genetics
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Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
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Open Reading Frames
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Patch-Clamp Techniques
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Protein Precursors / chemistry
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Protein Precursors / genetics
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Protein Precursors / metabolism*
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Protein Processing, Post-Translational
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Proteolysis
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RNA, Messenger / metabolism
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Rats, Sprague-Dawley
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Rats, Wistar
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Sequence Analysis, DNA
Substances
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Cell Cycle Proteins
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DNA-Binding Proteins
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Ligands
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Nerve Tissue Proteins
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Nuclear Proteins
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Protein Precursors
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RNA, Messenger
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Trnp1 protein, mouse
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mexneurin-2, mouse
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mexneurin-3, mouse
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Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate)
Associated data
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GENBANK/AY142705.1
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GENBANK/AAN28928
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GENBANK/CH466552
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GENBANK/JH000938.1
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GENBANK/AY142705