The detection of the prodynorphin gene in anuran amphibians and lungfishes may indicate that this gene arose as a result of the duplication of the proenkephalin gene early during the divergence of the Sarcopterygii, or that this gene may predate the divergence of the ray-finned fish and the lobe-finned fish. The cloning of prodynorphin-related genes from the pufferfish and zebrafish supports th...

Colocalization of proenkephalin and prodynorphin mRNAs with each other as well as with D1, D2, and D3 dopamine receptor mRNAs was analyzed in the nucleus accumbens of the rat. Distinct combinations were detected in the rostral pole, core, and shell subdivisions of the nucleus accumbens. Proenkephalin and prodynorphin mRNAs were principally localized in separate cells in the core. All detectable...

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the regulation of prodynorphin peptides by dopaminergic agents in the central nervous system. The indirectly acting catecholamine agonist D-amphetamine sulfate (AMPH) and the dopamine receptor antagonist haloperidol (HAL) were administered to rats across a variety of treatment schedules and drug doses. The striatum, substantia nigra and hippocamp...

In situ hybridization histochemistry in combination with RNA blot techniques was used to study the regulation of opioid gene expression in rat hippocampus. By use of a prodynorphin cDNA probe, a strong hybridization signal was identified in the granule cell layer of the hippocampus. However, experiments using a proenkephalin cDNA probe revealed that the content of proenkephalin mRNA was conside...

Prodynorphin mRNA and dynorphin B expression have been previously shown to be greatly increased in cardiac myocytes of BIO 14.6 cardiomyopathic hamsters. Here we report that exogenous dynorphin B induced a dose-dependent increase in prodynorphin mRNA levels and stimulated prodynorphin gene transcription in normal hamster myocytes. Similar responses were elicited by the synthetic selective kappa...

To investigate adaptive responses of pancreatic beta-cells to hyperglycemia, genes induced by glucose stimulation were identified by subtraction cloning. Among 53 clones representing differentially expressed genes, 20 encoded the endogenous opioid precursor, prodynorphin. The amino acid sequence of murine prodynorphin is identical to the rat protein in sequences comprising the opioid peptides a...

A DNA-binding factor with high affinity and specificity for the [Leu5]enkephalin-encoding sequences in the prodynorphin and proenkephalin genes has been characterized. The factor has the highest affinity for the [Leu5]-enkephalin-encoding sequence in the dynorphin B-encoding region of the prodynorphin gene, has relatively high affinity for other [Leu5]enkephalin-encoding sequences in the prodyn...

Induction of the prodynorphin gene has been implicated in medium and long-term adaptation during memory acquisition and pain. By 5' deletion mapping and site-directed mutagenesis of the human prodynorphin promoter, we demonstrate that both basal transcription and protein kinase A (PKA)-induced transcription in NB69 and SK-N-MC human neuroblastoma cells are regulated by the GAGTCAAGG sequence ce...

Bulleyaconitine (BAA) has been shown to possess antinociceptive activities by stimulation of dynorphin A release from spinal microglia. This study investigated its underlying signal transduction mechanisms. The data showed that (1) BAA treatment induced phosphorylation of CREB (rather than NF-κB) and prodynorphin expression in cultured primary microglia, and antiallodynia in neuropathy, which w...

The distributions of four prodynorphin-derived peptides, dynorphin A (1-17), dynorphin A (1-8), dynorphin B, and alpha-neo-endorphin were determined in 10 cortical regions and the striatum of the old world monkey (Macaca nemestrina). alpha-neo-endorphin was the most abundant peptide in both cortex and striatum. The concentrations of all four peptides were significantly greater in the striatum c...