Structure of a cannabinoid receptor and functional expression of the cloned cDNA
Article Abstract:
Marijuana, a cannabinoid drug, causes depression and analgesia (pain suppression) of the central nervous system. The cannabinoid receptor has been identified, isolated, and its DNA (deoxyribose nucleic acid) sequence characterized. The receptor was found to be a G protein-coupled receptor. G proteins (guanine nucleotide binding proteins) are molecules involved in the transmission of a signal, created by the binding of a molecule to its receptor, into a cell. The receptor was found to bind cannabinols and to inhibit the enzyme adenylate cyclase, another molecule involved in the transmission of signals from the outside to the inside of cells. The receptor was found to be expressed in regions of the brain and in tissue culture cells that are known to express cannabinoid effects. These findings suggest that this receptor is involved in the effects that are induced by marijuana. The identification of the gene allows further research to be done, including the identification of the normal function of the receptor, the identification of the normal molecule which binds to the receptor, and the understanding of the action of cannabinols on the central nervous system. This research also contributes to an advanced understanding of the central nervous system as a whole. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1990
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The ubiquitin pathway in Parkinson's disease
Article Abstract:
Alpha-synuclein gene mutations have been identified in certain familial forms of Parkinson's disease. It has been shown to accumulate in the brain indicating that the disease may be due to the abnormal aggregation of alpha-synuclein protein. A missense mutation has been identified in the ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 gene, and it is shown that the mutation, Ile93Met, leads to partial loss of catalytic activity of the thiol protease, which may lead to aberrations in the proteolytic pathway and aggregation of proteins.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1998
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Pain responses, anxiety and aggression in mice deficient in pre-proenkephalin
Article Abstract:
Enkephalins are endogenous opioid peptides that regulate responses to painful stimuli. This role of the mammalian opioid system in the experience of pain was affirmed when mice lacking the enkephalin gene were generated. Findings reveal that these mice are more anxious than their wild-type counterparts, with the males exhibiting greater offensive aggressiveness. They are also more sensitive to pain mediated by supraspinal mechanisms. Surprisingly, they also display normal stress-induced analgesia and spinal response to pain.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1996
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