CLONING AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE RABBIT 5-HT1D-ALPHA AND 5-HT1D-BETA RECEPTORS

The genes encoding the rabbit 5HT(1D alpha) and 5HT(1D beta) receptors have been cloned, The deduced amino acid sequence of these receptors shows 91-92% amino acid sequence identity with their human homologues, and similar high sequence identity with homologues from other species . The receptors were transiently expressed in COS-7 cells and exhibit a pharmacological profile closely resembling their human homologues, i ncluding a higher affinity of ketanserin for the 5-HT1D alpha subtype. However, sumatriptan had a lower affinity for both the rabbit recepto rs compared to their human counterparts. This may be accounted for by differences between the primary amino acid sequences of these species homologues.