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Molecular characterization of a functional cDNA encoding the rat substance P receptor
1Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|February 23, 1990
Summary
Researchers identified the rat substance P receptor, a G protein-coupled receptor, using molecular biology techniques. This receptor is crucial for mediating substance P
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Substance P, a tachykinin peptide, regulates numerous biological processes.
- Understanding the substance P receptor is key to its physiological roles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To isolate and characterize the complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding the rat substance P receptor.
- To determine the receptor's classification and ligand-binding properties.
Main Methods:
- Polymerase chain reaction and library screening to isolate receptor cDNA.
- Homology analysis to classify the receptor within the G protein-coupled receptor superfamily.
- Expression in mammalian cells and pharmacological characterization using Scatchard analysis and peptide displacement assays.
Main Results:
- Successfully isolated and expressed the rat substance P receptor cDNA.
- Pharmacological data confirmed the receptor's identity as a substance P receptor.
- Messenger RNA distribution was highest in the urinary bladder, submandibular gland, striatum, and spinal cord.
Conclusions:
- The identified receptor mediates primary actions of substance P in the brain and peripheral tissues.
- The receptor's distribution aligns with known substance P binding sites.
- This discovery provides a molecular basis for studying substance P's physiological functions.