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Opioid Peptides and Their Receptors in Chickens: Structure, Functionality, and Tissue Distribution
Guixian Bu1, Lin Cui2, Can Lv2
1College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, 625014, PR China; Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, PR China.
Peptides
|March 29, 2020
Summary
The chicken opioid system, including peptides and receptors, is conserved across vertebrates. This study confirms its functionality and expression in the chicken brain, revealing conserved roles in vertebrates.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Molecular Biology
- Comparative Physiology
Background:
- The opioid system, comprising peptides and receptors, plays crucial roles in vertebrate physiology and pathology.
- Its existence and function in non-mammalian vertebrates, particularly birds, remain largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the presence, functionality, and tissue expression of the opioid system in chickens.
- To compare the chicken opioid system with its mammalian counterpart.
Main Methods:
- Cloning of genes encoding opioid peptides and receptors from chicken brain.
- Functional analysis using reporter gene assays (pGL3-CRE-luciferase, pGL4-SRE-luciferase) in CHO cells.
- Quantitative real-time PCR for tissue expression analysis.
Main Results:
- Six opioid peptides and four opioid receptors are highly conserved in chickens, similar to mammals.
- Chicken opioid receptors (cDOR, cMOR, cKOR, cORL1) are differentially activated by chicken opioid peptides, modulating cAMP/PKA and MAPK/ERK pathways.
- The opioid system is primarily expressed in the chicken central nervous system, including the hypothalamus.
Conclusions:
- The chicken opioid system exhibits conserved ligand-receptor pairings but with distinct differences compared to mammals.
- This research provides insights into the conserved roles of the opioid system across vertebrate evolution.
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