Selective and wash‐resistant fluorescent dihydrocodeinone derivatives allow single‐molecule imaging of μ‐opioid receptor dimerization
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Authors
Colleges, School and Institutes
Abstract
μ-Opioid receptors (μ-ORs) play a critical role in the modulation of pain and mediate the effects of the most powerful analgesic drugs. Despite extensive efforts, it remains insufficiently understood how μ-ORs produce specific effects in living cells. We developed new fluorescent ligands based on the μ-OR antagonist E-p-nitrocinnamoylamino-dihydrocodeinone (CACO), that display high affinity, long residence time and pronounced selectivity. Using these ligands, we achieved single-molecule imaging of μ-ORs on the surface of living cells at physiological expression levels. Our results reveal a high heterogeneity in the diffusion of μ-ORs, with a relevant immobile fraction. Using a pair of fluorescent ligands of different color, we provide evidence that μ-ORs interact with each other to form short-lived homodimers on the plasma membrane. This approach provides a new strategy to investigate μ-OR pharmacology at single-molecule level.
Details
Original language | English |
---|---|
Journal | Angewandte Chemie (International Edition) |
Early online date | 6 Dec 2019 |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 6 Dec 2019 |
Keywords
- mu Opioid Receptor, GPCR, morphinan, homodimers, florescence