Internalisation of the mu-opioid receptor by endomorphin-1 and leu-enkephalin is dependant on aromatic amino acid residues

The opioid receptor system in the central nervous system controls a number of physiological processes, most notably pain. However, most opioids currently available have a variety of side-effects as well as exhibiting tolerance. Tolerance is most likely to be a complex phenomenon, however, the role of receptor internalisation is thought to play a crucial role. In this study, we examined the role of aromaticity in ligand-mediated receptor internalisation of the mu-opioid receptor (MOPR). These studies show that the amount of receptor internalisation may be dependant on the amphiphilicity of the ligand. Specifically, deletion of the C-terminus aromatic residues of endomorphin 1, particularly tryptophan reduces receptor-mediated internalisation whilst the addition of tryptophan within the enkephalin sequence increases receptor internalisation and decreases tolerance.