Mexneurin is a novel precursor of peptides in the central nervous system of rodents

FEBS Lett. 2017 Jun;591(12):1627-1636. doi: 10.1002/1873-3468.12679. Epub 2017 Jun 1.

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.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Brain / cytology
  • Brain / metabolism*
  • Brain / physiology
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Evoked Potentials
  • Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate) / metabolism
  • Hippocampus / cytology
  • Hippocampus / metabolism
  • Hippocampus / physiology
  • Ligands
  • Male
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / chemistry
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / metabolism*
  • Neurons / cytology
  • Neurons / metabolism*
  • Neurons / physiology
  • Nuclear Proteins / chemistry
  • Nuclear Proteins / genetics
  • Nuclear Proteins / metabolism*
  • Open Reading Frames
  • Patch-Clamp Techniques
  • Protein Precursors / chemistry
  • Protein Precursors / genetics
  • Protein Precursors / metabolism*
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational
  • Proteolysis
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Rats, Wistar
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

Substances

  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Ligands
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Nuclear Proteins
  • Protein Precursors
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Trnp1 protein, mouse
  • mexneurin-2, mouse
  • mexneurin-3, mouse
  • Guanosine 5'-O-(3-Thiotriphosphate)

Associated data

  • GENBANK/AY142705.1
  • GENBANK/AAN28928
  • GENBANK/CH466552
  • GENBANK/JH000938.1
  • GENBANK/AY142705