TY - JOUR T1 - High-Affinity Interaction of (des-Tyrosyl)Dynorphin A(2-17) with NMDA Receptors JF - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics JO - J Pharmacol Exp Ther SP - 760 LP - 765 VL - 291 IS - 2 AU - Qingbo Tang AU - Ronnie Gandhoke AU - Andrew Burritt AU - Victor J. Hruby AU - Frank Porreca AU - Josephine Lai Y1 - 1999/11/01 UR - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/291/2/760.abstract N2 - The opioid peptide dynorphin A elicits non-opioid receptor-mediated, neurotoxic response in vivo, which is blocked by pretreatment with MK-801, a noncompetitiveN-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antagonist. In the present study, we examined the possible direct interaction of dynorphin A on the NMDAR. A nonopioid dynorphin A analog, 125I-(des-tyrosyl) dynorphin A(2-17), was used in radioligand binding analysis on rat cortical brain membranes. This radioligand exhibited a saturable, specific binding at high affinity with a Kd value of 9.4 ± 1.6 nM and maximal binding of 2.4 ± 0.6 pmol/mg protein. This binding site was associated with the NMDAR complex because it was modulated by a number of NMDAR ligands. Transient expression of the rat NR1a/NR2A complex in human embryonic kidney 293 cells confirmed a coexpression of125I-(des-tyrosyl) dynorphin A(2-17), [3H]CGP39,653, and [3H]MK-801 binding. These data provide direct evidence of the presence of a high-affinity binding site for dynorphin A on the NMDAR. The modulatory effect of the various NMDAR-selective ligands on dynorphin A binding suggests that dynorphin A may bind preferentially to the closed/desensitized state of the NMDAR. The physiological role of dynorphin A binding to the NMDAR remains to be established. The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics ER -