Mu opioid receptor stimulation activates c-Jun N-terminal kinase 2 by distinct arrestin-dependent and independent mechanisms

作者：Kuhar Jamie Rose; Bedini Andrea; Melief Erica J; Chiu Yen Chen; Striegel Heather N; Chavkin Charles^*

来源：Cellular Signalling, 2015, 27(9): 1799-1806.

DOI：10.1016/j.cellsig.2015.05.019

• Arrestin
• JNK
• Tolerance
• Opioid
• Morphine
• Fentanyl

G protein-coupled receptor desensitization is typically mediated by receptor phosphorylation by G protein-coupled receptor kinase (GRK) and subsequent arrestin binding; morphine, however, was previously found to activate a c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-dependent, GRK/arrestin-independent pathway to produce mu opioid receptor (MOR) inactivation in spinally-mediated, acute anti-nociceptive responses [Melief et al.] [1]. In the current study, we determined that JNK2 was also required for centrally-mediated analgesic tolerance to morphine using the hotplate assay. We compared JNK activation by morphine and fentanyl in JNK1(-/-), JNK2(-/-), JNK3(-/-), and GRK3(-/-) mice and found that both compounds specifically activate JNK2 in vivo; however, fentanyl activation of JNK2 was GRK3-dependent, whereas morphine activation of JNK2 was GRK3-independent. In MOR-GFP expressing HEK293 cells, treatment with either arrestin siRNA, the Src family kinase inhibitor PP2, or the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor Go6976 indicated that morphine activated JNK2 through an arrestin-independent Src- and PKC-dependent mechanism, whereas fentanyl activated JNK2 through a Src-GRK3/arrestin-2-dependent and PKC-independent mechanism. This study resolves distinct ligand-directed mechanisms of JNK activation by mu opioid agonists and understanding ligand-directed signaling at MOR may improve opioid therapeutics.

• 出版日期2015-9