Journal
TOXINS
Volume 10, Issue 1, Pages -Publisher
MDPI AG
DOI: 10.3390/toxins10010043
Keywords
Phoneutria nigriventer; opioid receptor; spider toxin; antinociception
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Funding
- FAPEMIG (Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais)
- CAPES (Coordenacao de Aperfeicoamento de Pessoal de Nivel Superior)-University of Nottingham Programme in Drug Discovery
- CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico)
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The synthetic peptide PnPP-19 comprehends 19 amino acid residues and it represents part of the primary structure of the toxin -CNTX-Pn1c (PnTx2-6), isolated from the venom of the spider Phoneutria nigriventer. Behavioural tests suggest that PnPP-19 induces antinociception by activation of CB1, and opioid receptors. Since the peripheral and central antinociception induced by PnPP-19 involves opioid activation, the aim of this work was to identify whether this synthetic peptide could directly activate opioid receptors and investigate the subtype selectivity for -, - and/or -opioid receptors. Furthermore, we also studied the modulation of calcium influx driven by PnPP-19 in dorsal root ganglion neurons, and analyzed whether this modulation was opioid-mediated. PnPP-19 selectively activates -opioid receptors inducing indirectly inhibition of calcium channels and hereby impairing calcium influx in dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons. Interestingly, notwithstanding the activation of opioid receptors, PnPP-19 does not induce -arrestin2 recruitment. PnPP-19 is the first spider toxin derivative that, among opioid receptors, selectively activates -opioid receptors. The lack of -arrestin2 recruitment highlights its potential for the design of new improved opioid agonists.
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