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Multiple Molecular Forms of Enkephalins in the Guinea Pig Hippocampus
Author(s) -
Hoffman Douglas W.,
Altschuler Richard A.,
Gutierrez Joanne
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
journal of neurochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.75
H-Index - 229
eISSN - 1471-4159
pISSN - 0022-3042
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-4159.1983.tb00875.x
Subject(s) - enkephalin , subiculum , hippocampal formation , dentate gyrus , neuropeptide , guinea pig , hippocampus , antiserum , chemistry , radioimmunoassay , met enkephalin , mossy fiber (hippocampus) , leu enkephalin , granule cell , immunocytochemistry , medicine , endocrinology , biology , biochemistry , receptor , antibody , immunology , opioid
The combined techniques of HPLC and radioimmunoassay were used to identify and quantitate enkephalin‐related peptides in the guinea pig hippocampus. Both met‐ and leu‐enkephalin were identified, in approximately a 2:1 ratio, as well as a third enkephalin‐like molecule that is neither met‐ nor leu‐enkephalin. The third enkephalin elutes earlier than met‐ or leu‐enkephalin from a reversed‐phase column, has a molecular weight similar to the other enkephalins, and is as active as these enkephalins are in inhibiting binding of labeled opiates to rat brain membranes. All regions of the hippocampus (dentate gyrus, CA1–2, CA3–4, and subiculum) contain all three immunoreactive peptides. Immunocytochemical techniques, using antisera raised against met‐enkephalin, show with one antiserum immunoreactivity in the granule cell‐mossy fiber system, and with the other scattered immunoreactive cells mostly in the CA2 region. Enkephalins are not confined to the mossy fiber system, as previously suggested, but may be a component of another hippocampal innervation.