Characterization of preprodynorphin-expressing cells in the mouse nervous system

• Dynorphin is an endogenous opioid that has been implicated in maintaining chronic pain and gating of both itch and acute mechanical pain through acting on both opioid and non-opioid receptors. To improve our understanding of the complex and multifunctional population that expresses dynorphin, we have constructed a preprodynorphin Cre line (Pdyn-Cre) using BAC cloning. Single cell analysis of tdTomato;Pdyn-Cre cells revealed that 43% of the population expressed Pdyn mRNA, and no analyzed tdTomato;Pdyn-Cre negative cell expressed Pdyn mRNA, thus confirming that Cre had been inserted under the control of the Pdyn promoter. The Pdyn-Cre expressing population was found in the dorsal spinal cord, mainly in lamina II-IV and overlapped to 47% with Vglut2 mRNA, while co-expression with the inhibitory markers Viaat-egfp and Pax2 was 13% and 28%, respectively. The expression of Pdyn-Cre in the brain was extensive, marking virtually all cortical structures, including somatosensory and motor cortex. Furthermore, Pdyn-Cre was densely expressed in the striatum, amygdala and parts of the hippocampus, and expression was also observed in several pain and itch processing areas, including amygdala, lateral parabrachial nucleus, claustrum, insular cortex and raphe magnus nucleus. Our analysis indicates that the transgenic Pdyn-Cre line includes PDYN cells in the nervous system and will thus be useful as a transgenic tool for studies of the role and connectivity of the PDYN population.

Keyword

Preprodynorphin

characterization

Medicinsk vetenskap

Medical Science

Publication and Content Type

vet (subject category)

ovr (subject category)