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Regional Distribution of Methionine‐Enkephalin‐Arg 6 ‐Phe 7 in the Rat Brain: Comparative Study with the Distribution of Other Opioid Peptides
Author(s) -
Giraud P.,
Castanas E.,
Patey G.,
Oliver C.,
Rossier J.
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.tb11827.x
Subject(s) - dynorphin , proenkephalin , opioid peptide , dynorphin a , enkephalin , chemistry , met enkephalin , leu enkephalin , medicine , endocrinology , neuropeptide , opioid , biochemistry , biology , receptor
The distribution of the opioid peptide methionine‐enkephalin‐arginine 6 ‐phenylalanine 7 (M‐Enk‐Arg 6 ‐Phe 7 ) has been investigated in various structures of the rat brain by using a highly specific radioimmunoassay (RIA). Immunoreactive M‐Enk‐Arg 6 ‐Phe 7 has been further characterized by high performance liquid chromatography. The levels of M‐Enk‐Arg 6 ‐ ‐ Phe 7 in various structures of the rat brain were compared with the levels of several other opioid peptides, including methionineenkephalin (M‐Enk), leucine‐enkephalin (L‐Enk), dynorphin 1–13, and α‐neoendorphin, which were also measured by RIA. There was a close relationship between the distribution of M‐Enk‐Arg 6 ‐ ‐ Phe 7 immunoreactive material (ir), M‐Enk ir, and L‐Enk ir. The distribution of dynorphin 1–13 ir and α‐neoendorphin ir appeared to be distinct from that of the enkephalin group. These results are in agreement with recent reports on the cloning and sequencing of the c‐DNA coding for the prohormones, in which it has been hypothesized that M‐Enk‐Arg 6 ‐Phe 7 and M‐Enk are synthesized by the same precursor, called proenkephalin, and that dynorphin‐related peptides and α‐neoendorphin arise from a separate precursor, prodynorphin.