EFFECTS OF TREATMENT WITH KINASE ACTIVATORS AND INHIBITORS ON MU-OPIOID AND DELTA-OPIOID RECEPTOR COUPLING TO G-PROTEIN GATED K+ CHANNELS IN XENOPUS OOCYTES

Xenopus oocytes were used as a heterologous expression system to study the coupling between either cloned mouse delta opioid receptors (1,2) of cloned rat mu receptors (3) and the cloned G-protein gated, inward ly-rectifying potassium channel (KGA) (4) using a two-electrode voltag e clamp paradigm. The present report describes the effects of phosphat ase inhibitors (okadaic acid) calcium chelators (BAPTA) and agents tha t modulate the activity of protein kinases (cAMP analogs, staurosporin e, forskolin, IBMX, and phorbol esters) on the acute stimulation of KG A by mu and delta opioid agonists. None of these agents significantly effected the coupling between either mu or delta receptors and the pot assium channel.