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. 2022:271:3-21.
doi: 10.1007/164_2021_433.

Fundamentals of the Dynorphins/Kappa Opioid Receptor System: From Distribution to Signaling and Function

Catherine Cahill  1 , Hugo A Tejeda  2 , Mariana Spetea  3 , Chongguang Chen  4 , Lee-Yuan Liu-Chen  5
Affiliations

Fundamentals of the Dynorphins/Kappa Opioid Receptor System: From Distribution to Signaling and Function

Catherine Cahill et al. Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2022.

Abstract

This chapter provides a general introduction to the dynorphins (DYNs)/kappa opioid receptor (KOR) system, including DYN peptides, neuroanatomy of the DYNs/KOR system, cellular signaling, and in vivo behavioral effects of KOR activation and inhibition. It is intended to serve as a primer for the book and to provide a basic background for the chapters in the book.

Keywords: In vivo pharmacology; KOR/dynorphins; Neuroanatomy; Review; Signaling.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interests: The authors declare no conflict of interests.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Summary of post-translational PDYN products, changes in chronic pain and effects on nociception, and expression patterns.
A. Dynorphin peptides are up-regulated in chronic neuropathic and inflammatory pain models (marked in red). Spinal (intrathecal) administration of DYN peptides that produce acute antinociception include Dyn A (1-8), Dyn A (1-17), Dyn B (1-13). Spinal administration of DYN peptides, Dyn A (1-17), Dyn B (1-13), Dyn A (2-17), Dyn A (2-13), produces pain-like (allodynia and hyperalgesia) responses via activation of NMDA or bradykinin receptors. [Reviewed in (Podvin et al. 2016)]. Dyn A (2-17 or 2-13) have no activity at KORs.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Dynorphin peptide expression in the rodent brain. L: low, M: moderate, H: high expression. Abbreviations. ARC: arcuate nucleus, hypothalamus, AMY: amygdala, BLA: basolateral nucleus, amygdala, BNST: bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, C: cerebellum, CC: corpus collosum, CeA: central nucleus, amygdala, CI: claustrum, CL: centrolateral thalamus, CM: centromedial thalamus, COA: cortical nucleus, amygdala, CPU: caudate putamen, DMH: dorsomedial hypothalamus, DMR: dorsal and medial raphe, DR: dorsal raphe, DTN: dorsal tegmental nucleus, EN: endopiriform cortex, GP: globus pallidus, HPC: hippocampus, IC: inferior colliculus, IP: interpeduncular nucleus, LC: locus coeruleus, LD: laterodorsal thalamus, LH: lateral hypothalamus, LRN: lateral reticular nucleus, ME: median eminence, MeA: median nucleus, amygdala, NAc: nucleus accumbens, NST: nucleus tractus solitarius, NL: neuronal lobe, pituitary, NRGC: nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis, OB: olfactory bulb, OCX: occipital cortex, PAG: periaqueductal gray, PBN: parabrachial nucleus, PCX: parietal cortex, PFC: prefrontal cortex, PIR: piriform cortex, PNR: pontine reticular, POA: preoptic area, PV: paraventricular thalamus, PVN: paraventricular hypothalamus, RE: reuniens thalamus, RM: raphe magnus, S: septum, SC: superior colliculus, SN: substantia nigra, STN: spinal trigeminal nucleus , Sub: subiculum, TCX: temporal cortex, Th: thalamus, TU: olfactory tubercule, VMH: ventromedial hypothalamus, VP: ventral pallidum, VR: ventral raphe, VTA: ventral tegmental area, Zi: zona incerta. [Adapted from Le Merrer et al. (2009)].
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Expression of the KOR in rat brain. L: low, M: moderate, H: high expression. Abbreviations. ARC: arcuate nucleus, hypothalamus, AMY: amygdala, BLA: basolateral nucleus, amygdala, BNST: bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, C: cerebellum, CC: corpus collosum, CeA: central nucleus, amygdala, CI: claustrum, CL: centrolateral thalamus, CM: centromedial thalamus, COA: cortical nucleus, amygdala, CPU: caudate putamen, DMH: dorsomedial hypothalamus, DMR: dorsal and medial raphe, DR: dorsal raphe, DTN: dorsal tegmental nucleus, EN: endopiriform cortex, GP: globus pallidus, HPC: hippocampus, IC: inferior colliculus, IP: interpeduncular nucleus, LC: locus coeruleus, LD: laterodorsal thalamus, LH: lateral hypothalamus, LRN: lateral reticular nucleus, ME: median eminence, MeA: median nucleus, amygdala, NAc: nucleus accumbens, NST: nucleus tractus solitarius, NL: neuronal lobe, pituitary, NRGC: nucleus reticularis gigantocellularis, OB: olfactory bulb, OCX: occipital cortex, PAG: periaqueductal gray, PBN: parabrachial nucleus, PCX: parietal cortex, PFC: prefrontal cortex, PIR: piriform cortex, PNR: pontine reticular, POA: preoptic area, PV: paraventricular thalamus, PVN: paraventricular hypothalamus, RE: reuniens thalamus, RM: raphe magnus, S: septum, SC: superior colliculus, SN: substantia nigra, STN: spinal trigeminal nucleus , Sub: subiculum, TCX: temporal cortex, Th: thalamus, TU: olfactory tubercule, VMH: ventromedial hypothalamus, VP: ventral pallidum, VR: ventral raphe, VTA: ventral tegmental area, Zi: zona incerta. [Adapted from Le Merrer et al. (2009)].
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