Biochemical and biophysical research communications
-
Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. · Jan 1988
Different molecular weight forms of opioid receptors revealed by polyclonal antibodies.
Polyclonal antibodies were raised against a purified opioid receptor from bovine brain (Cho, et. al., 1986), and shown to inhibit 3H-diprenorphine binding to this receptor in a dose-dependent fashion. These antibodies were then used to characterize opioid-binding material present in rat brain and in NG108-15 neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid cells. ⋯ In contrast, the polyclonal antibodies reacted with a 45,000 molecular weight species in NG108-15 neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid cells; moreover, this band was specifically reduced in NG108-15 cells in which opioid receptors had been down-regulated by incubation with D-ala2-D-leu5-enkephalin for 24 hours. Thus at least two distinct opioid receptor molecules have been identified, which have antigenic similarities.