| First Author | Halford WP | Year | 1995 |
| Journal | J Neuroimmunol | Volume | 59 |
| Issue | 1-2 | Pages | 91-101 |
| PubMed ID | 7797625 | Mgi Jnum | J:28352 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:75970 | Doi | 10.1016/0165-5728(95)00030-6 |
| Citation | Halford WP, et al. (1995) Functional role and sequence analysis of a lymphocyte orphan opioid receptor. J Neuroimmunol 59(1-2):91-101 |
| abstractText | Pharmacological evidence indicates that lymphocytes express opioid receptors, but this finding has been questioned. By DNA sequencing of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction products, we have found that mouse lymphocytes express mRNA encoding an orphan opioid receptor. These mRNA transcripts were detected in the CD4+, CD8+, and CD4- CD8- lymphocyte subpopulations. Northern blot analysis confirmed that splenic lymphocytes express a 1.5-kb orphan opioid receptor mRNA. Fifteen bases encoding Tyr71-Arg75 in the first intracellular loop are alternatively spliced, suggesting that orphan opioid receptor mRNA encodes two receptor subtypes. Treatment of lipopolysaccharide-stimulated lymphocytes with orphan opioid receptor antisense oligonucleotides suppressed polyclonal IgG and IgM production by 50%. Our results provide direct evidence that lymphocytes express an opioid-like receptor gene, and suggest that this receptor plays a functional role in immunocompetence. |
