Identification and Characterization of Two Neuromedin U Receptors Differentially Expressed in Peripheral Tissues and the Central Nervous System

• Published in: The Journal of biological chemistry Vol. 275; no. 42; pp. 32452 - 32459
• Main Authors: Raddatz, Rita, Wilson, Amy E., Artymyshyn, Roman, Bonini, James A., Borowsky, Beth, Boteju, Lakmal W., Zhou, Siqun, Kouranova, Evguenia V., Nagorny, Raisa, Guevarra, Maricel S., Dai, Meng, Lerman, Gabriel S., Vaysse, Pierre J., Branchek, Theresa A., Gerald, Christophe, Forray, Carlos, Adham, Nika
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 20.10.2000; American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Subjects: Amino Acid Sequence; Animals; Brain - metabolism; Calcium - metabolism; Cloning, Molecular; Conserved Sequence; COS Cells; Female; Humans; Inositol Phosphates - metabolism; Membrane Proteins; Molecular Sequence Data; neuromedin U receptors; Neuropeptides - pharmacology; Oocytes - physiology; Open Reading Frames; Organ Specificity; Protein Isoforms - chemistry; Protein Isoforms - genetics; Protein Isoforms - physiology; Radioligand Assay; Rats; Receptors, Neurotransmitter - chemistry; Receptors, Neurotransmitter - genetics; Receptors, Neurotransmitter - physiology; Recombinant Proteins - metabolism; Second Messenger Systems - drug effects; Second Messenger Systems - physiology; Sequence Alignment; Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; Swine; Transfection; Xenopus laevis
• ISSN: 0021-9258; 1083-351X
• DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M004613200

Two structurally related, G-protein-coupled receptors were identified as receptors for the neuropeptide, neuromedin U. This peptide is found in highest levels in the gut and genitourinary system where it potently contracts smooth muscle but is also expressed in the spinal cord and discrete regions of the brain. Binding sites for neuromedin U have been characterized in rat uterus, however, little is known about the activity of this peptide in the regions of the central nervous system where it is expressed. The receptors characterized in this report are activated by neuromedin U at nanomolar potency in heterologous expression systems and bind radiolabeled neuromedin U with high affinity. Localization of the receptor RNA by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in a variety of human tissues shows distinct expression patterns for the two receptors. NMU1 is expressed predominantly in peripheral tissues, whereas NMU2 is more highly expressed in the central nervous system. Identification of neuromedin U receptor subtypes will greatly aid in the determination of the physiological roles of this peptide.