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The delta opiate receptor gene has been cloned from the mouse neuroblastoma-rat glioma hybrid cell NG108-15. The clone that we isolated is apparently identical to that reported by Evans et al. [Evans, C. J., Keith, D. E., Jr., Morrison, H., Magendzo, K. & Edwards, R. H. (1992) Science 258, 1952-1955] and essentially identical with that of Kieffer et al. [Kieffer, B. L., Befort, K., Gaveriaux-Ruff, C. & Hirth, C. G. (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 89, 12048-12052]. We have found full-length transcripts of the gene in mouse brain but in no other tissues examined. Within the brain the gene is expressed at low levels in many regions but transcripts are found in particularly large amounts in the anterior pituitary and pineal glands. Since these tissues are located outside the blood-brain barrier, opioid peptides easily can reach receptors in these areas from the blood. The gene, which is present as a single copy, has been mapped to the distal region of mouse Chromosome 4.

Reactions mediated by the opiate receptors that inhibit adenylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.1) are closely coupled to subsequent reactions that gradually increase adenylate cyclase activity of neuroblastoma X glioma NG108-15 hybrid cells. Opiate-treated cells have higher basal-, prostaglandin E1-, and 2-chloroadenosine-stimulated activities than do control cells. However, NaF or guanosine 5'-(beta, gamma-imido)triphosphate abolishes most of the differences in adenylate cyclase activity observed with homogenates from control and opiate-treated cells. Cycloheximide blocked some, but not all, of the opiate-dependent increase in adenylate cyclase activity. These results suggest that the opiate-dependent increase in adenylate cyclase is due to conversion of adenylate cyclase to a form with altered activity. Protein synthesis also is required for part of the opiate effect. We propose that activity of adenylate cyclase determines the rate of conversion of the enzyme from one form to the other and that opiates, by inhibiting adenylate cyclase, alter the relative abundance of low- and high-activity forms of the enzyme.

The addition of bradykinin to NG108-15 cells results in a transient hyperpolarization followed by prolonged cell depolarization. Injection of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate or Ca2+ into the cytoplasm of NG108-15 cells also elicits cell hyperpolarization followed by depolarization. Tetraethylammonium ions inhibit the hyperpolarizing response of cells to bradykinin or inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate. Thus, the hyperpolarizing phase of the cell response may be due to inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-dependent release of stored Ca2+ into the cytoplasm, which activates Ca2+-dependent K+ channels. The depolarizing phase of the cell response to bradykinin is due largely to inhibition of M channels, thereby decreasing the rate of K+ efflux from cells and, to a lesser extent, to activation of Ca2+-dependent ion channels and Ca2+ channels. In contrast, injection of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate or Ca2+ into the cytosol did not alter M channel activity. Incubation of NG108-15 cells with pertussis toxin inhibits bradykinin-dependent cell hyperpolarization and depolarization. Bradykinin stimulates low Km GTPase activity and inhibits adenylate cyclase in NG108-15 membrane preparations but not in membranes prepared from cells treated with pertussis toxin. Reconstitution of NG108-15 membranes from cells treated with pertussis toxin with nanomolar concentrations of a mixture of highly purified No and Ni [guanine nucleotide-binding proteins that have no known function (No) or inhibit adenylate cyclase (Ni)] restores bradykinin-dependent activation of GTPase and inhibition of adenylate cyclase. These results show that [bradykinin . receptor] complexes interact with No or Ni and suggest that No and/or Ni mediate the transduction of signals from bradykinin receptors to phospholipase C and adenylate cyclase.

Receptors that reversibly bind opiates and opioid peptides have been solubilized from brain and neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid cell NG108-15 membranes. Active receptors are specifically solubilized with a new type of detergent 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate, which is a zwitterionic derivative of cholic acid. The solubilized receptor complexes behave as large molecules with a Stokes radius of 70 A and contain protein as an essential constituent.

We tested 18 antisera showing reactivity against the alpha subunit of transducin, the guanine nucleotide binding protein from rod outer segment, for crossreactivity against the 40- and 39-kDa guanine nucleotide binding proteins purified from bovine brain. A single antiserum, CW6, showed crossreactivity, and this was predominantly against the 40-kDa protein. Immunoblots of the tryptic fragments of transducin alpha subunit with multiple antisera raised against that subunit showed that only CW6 recognizes a COOH-terminal 5-kDa peptide that includes the site of pertussis toxin ADP-ribosylation. Antibodies against the 5-kDa peptide, affinity-purified from CW6, specifically react with the 40-kDa brain protein on immunoblots. The results show that the 39- and 40-kDa guanine nucleotide binding proteins from brain differ immunochemically and that the COOH-terminal 5-kDa peptide of transducin alpha subunit is homologous to a region in the 40-kDa brain protein. We speculate that this homologous region may be in a domain that confers specificity for receptor interactions of guanine nucleotide binding proteins.

Specific, GTP hydrolysis catalyzed by membranes prepared from neuroblastoma--glioma (NG108-15) hybrid cells can be measured in the presence of adenosine-5'-[beta, gamma-imido] triphosphate (p[NH]ppA), ATP, and a nucleotide triphosphate-regenerating system. Opiates and opioid peptides stimulate low Km GTP hydrolysis when measured in the presence of Na+ and Mg2+. Opiate stimulation is rapid, stereospecific, and reserved by the antagonist naloxone. Potencies of opiates as stimulators of GTP hydrolysis and as inhibitors of adenylate cyclase are closely correlated. Agents that stimulate adenylate cyclase, including prostaglandin E1, 2-Cl-adenosine, secretin, and NaF, have little or no effect upon the rate of GTP hydrolysis. Opiates have no effect upon either adenylate cyclase or GTPase activity in membranes prepared from C6-BU1 glioma cells, which lack opiate receptors. In view of the pivotal role of GTP in the activation of adenylate cyclase, we conclude that receptor-mediated stimulation of GTP hydrolysis is the mechanism by which opiates and other inhibitory hormones lower adenylate cyclase activity in NG108-15 cell membranes.

Incubation of neuroblastoma X glioma hybrid cells for 12-97 hr with methionine-enkephalin results in an increase in adenylate cyclase activity [ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing), EC 4.6.1.1] that is mediated by the opiate receptor. The results show that cells become tolerant to, and dependent upon, enkephalin.

A neuroblastoma x glioma hybrid cell line with well-developed neural properties was found that has high-affinity morphine receptors. The average cell contains approximately 3 x 10(6) receptors. In contrast, parent cells and other neuroblastoma or hybrid cell lines tested had few or no morphine receptors.

Morphine inhibits adenylate cyclase (EC 4.6.1.1) activity of neuroblastoma times glioma hybrid cells. The inhibition is stereospecific and is reversed by the antagonist, naloxone. The relative affinities of narcotics for the opiate receptor agree well with their effectiveness as inhibitors of adenylate cyclase. Morphine-sensitive and -insensitive cell lines were found, and the degree of sensitivity was shown to be dependent upon the abundance of narcotic receptors. Thus, morphine receptors are functionally coupled to adenylate cyclase. A molecular mechanism for narcotic addiction and tolerance is proposed.

We immunized rabbits with purified guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G proteins) from bovine brain and obtained an antiserum, RV3, that reacts specifically with the alpha subunit (39 kDa) of a G protein of unknown function, termed Go, as well as with the beta subunit (35 kDa) common to all G proteins. RV3 showed no crossreactivity with the alpha subunits of the stimulatory (Gs) or inhibitory (Gi) G proteins associated with adenylate cyclase, nor with that of the rod outer segment G protein, transducin. Immunoblots with crude and affinity-purified antiserum showed that RV3 specifically recognizes the Go alpha subunit and the beta subunit in crude brain membranes. Using RV3, we found approximately equal amounts of Go in brain membranes from frog, chicken, rat, cow, and man. Quantitative immunoblotting gave Go alpha subunit/ beta subunit ratios approximately equal to 1 in cerebral cortex, raising the possibility that free Go alpha subunit (unassociated with beta subunit) may exist in brain. The concentration of Go alpha subunit in cortex is about 5 times that of Gi alpha subunit. The results show that Go is an immunochemically distinct, highly conserved protein distributed throughout the brain, with particularly high concentrations in forebrain.

Opiate receptors from NG108-15 neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid cell membranes were purified to apparent homogeneity in a form covalently labeled with the opiate affinity ligand 3-methylfentanylisothiocyanate (super-FIT). The purification procedure consists of five steps: quantitative labeling of opiate receptors in membranes with super-FIT; solubilization in a lubrol/3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate mixture; adsorption to and elution from a wheat germ agglutinin-Sepharose column; immunoaffinity chromatography on columns of immobilized anti-fentanyl; preparative gel electrophoresis in the presence of NaDodSO4. The protein was purified approximately 30,000-fold in 3% overall yield to a state in which there is 1 mol of super-FIT bound per mol of protein, corresponding to 21,000 pmol per mg of protein, the theoretically expected specific activity. The protein is glycosylated and migrates on NaDodSO4 gel electrophoresis with a Mr near 58,000. It has a strong tendency to dimerize, even in the presence of denaturing detergents, and it exists primarily as an oligomer in nondenaturing detergents.

Narcotics affect adenylate cyclase [ATP pyrophosphate-lyase (cyclizing), EC 4.6.1.1] in two opposing ways, both mediated by the opiate receptor. The first process is the readily reversible inhibition of the enzyme by narcotics; the second is a compensatory increase in enzyme activity which is delayed in onset and relatively stable. Late positive regulation of the enzyme counteracts the inhibitory influence of morphine and is responsible for narcotic dependence and tolerance. The coupled inhibitory and positive regulatory mechanisms for adenylate cyclase provide a means of activating and deactivating neural circuits hours after the initial event and thus may play a role in a memory process.