Influence of delta-opioid receptors on production of labeled methionine5-enkephalin in murine neuroblastoma cells

Evidence for the expression of peptides derived from three opioid precursors in NG 108CC15 hybrid cells

Five opioid peptides (immunoreactivity) derived from their respective opioid precursors were measured in neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid cells (NG 108CC15; pmol/g protein): heptapeptide (Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met-Arg-Phe), 13.0 +/- 2.6; alpha-neoendorphin, 6.6 +/- 0.8; dynorphin A, 4.4 +/- 1.5; dynorphin A 1-8, 1.3 +/- 0.29; beta-endorphin, 0.3 +/- 0.13. These peptides originate from preproenkephalin A (heptapeptide), prodynorphin (alpha-neonedorphin, dynorphin A, dynorphin A 1-8) and proopiomelanocortin (beta-endorphin). The data suggest the expression of all three known opioid precursors in a single hybrid cell line, permitting a simultaneous investigation of the processing of different opioid peptides under identical experimental conditions.

Nerve growth factor (NGF) induced differentiation of human neuroblastoma cells

1. Nerve growth factor (NGF) induced differentiation of human neuroblastoma cell line. 2. The differentiated cells had a relatively high activity of adenylate cyclase and cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase, and a high intracellular level of cyclic AMP. 3. These cells synthesized a higher amount of met5-o-enkephalin than undifferentiated cells. 4. Undifferentiated cells bound less met5-enkephalin than differentiated cells. The maximum number of [3H]met5-enkephalin receptor sites per mg of membrane protein increased more in differentiated cells. 5. Previous observations taken together with our results suggests that increased intracellular levels of cyclic AMP after treatment with NGF induced differentiation of human neuroblastoma cells. Reversal of undifferentiated tumor cells into the differentiated changes the capacity of synthesis of met5-enkephalin and its interaction with receptors.