Double fluorescent knock-in mice to investigate endogenous mu-delta opioid heteromer subscellular distribution.

Lyes Derouiche , Stéphane Ory , Dominique Massotte (1)

1 INCI - Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives

The heteromerization of Mu (MOP) and delta (DOP) opioid receptors has been extensively studied in heterologous systems. These studies demonstrated significant functional interaction of MOP and DOP evidenced by new pharmacological properties and intracellular signalling in transfected cells co-expressing the receptors. Due to the lack of appropriate tools for receptor visualization, such as specific antibodies, the pharmacological and functional properties of MOP-DOP heteromers in cells naturally expressing these receptors remains poorly understood. To address endogenous MOP-DOP heteromer trafficking and signalling in vivo and in primary neuronal cultures, we generated a double knock-in mouse line expressing functional fluorescent versions of DOP and MOP receptors. This mouse model has successfully been used to map the neuroanatomic distribution of the receptors and to identify brain regions in which the MOP-DOP heteromers are expressed. Here, we describe a method to quantitatively and automatically analyze changes in the subcellular distribution of MOP-DOP heteromers in primary hippocampal culture from this mouse model. This approach provides a unique tool to address specificities of endogenous MOP-DOP heteromer trafficking.

Domaines: Neurosciences [q-bio.NC]

Lyes Derouiche, Stéphane Ory, Dominique Massotte. Double fluorescent knock-in mice to investigate endogenous mu-delta opioid heteromer subscellular distribution.. Neuromethods volume 140, 2018. ⟨hal-02511619⟩