E with the solubilization buffer first with and then without urea and bmercaptoethanol. Ni-bound GPCR were eluted with a buffer containing 300 mM imidazole, 100 mM NaH2PO4, 10 mM Tris?HCl, 0.1 
SDS, pH 8. Purity of the GPCR-enriched samples was assessed by silver nitrate staining and anti-c-myc Western-blotting. Then, GPCR preparations were either extensively dialysized against pure water and lyophilized or concentrated on a Centricon plus-20 centrifugal filter (Amicon, Millipore Corporation, MA).Antibodies against G-Protein Coupled ReceptorsFigure 4. Amino acid sequence alignment of neuropeptide FF receptors 2 from Human, rat and mouse. Amino acid sequences of NPFF receptors 2 from Human (hNPFFR2), rat (rNPFFR2) and mouse (mNPFFR2) were compared for their amino acid sequence identities. Amino acid residues conserved (identical) across all the three species are enclosed in grey boxes. Putative transmembrane segments (TM) are indicated by bold lines above the sequence. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046348.gImmunization of mice. Experiments were performed in compliance with the relevant laws and institutional guidelines (INSERM) and were approved by the local ethics committee (Midi-Pyrenees, France). Eight-week-old BALB/c mice (Janvier, ??Le Genest Saint Isle, France) were injected subcutaneously with 100 mg of purified GPCR (lyophilized or solubilised in 0.1 SDS) Rebaudioside A chemical information emulsified in complete Freund’s adjuvant (Difco, Detroit, MI). Two subsequent injections two weeks apart were performed with same amounts of GPCR in incomplete Freund’s adjuvant. Blood samples were collected by cardiac CAL-120 site puncture under general anesthesia. Cell culture and preparation of eukaryotic cell 23727046 membrane. CHO-K1 cells expressing unmodified GPCRsincluding hMOR/CHO, hKOR/CHO, hNPFFR2/CHO, mNPFFR2/CHO, rNPFFR2/CHO or the hMOR deleted for the first 61 amino acids of the extracellular NH2-terminal segment (D1-61hMOR) [41,42] were grown in high glucose DMEM (Invitrogen Corporation, Carlsbad, CA) supplemented with 10 fetal calf serum (FCS), 50 mg/ml gentamicine and 400 mg/ml geneticin G-418 sulfate to maintain 1407003 GPCR-expressing cell selection. Wild-type CHO-K1 cells [43] and the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line [44] were grown in the same medium without selective antibiotics. For the preparation of membranes, cells were harvested in phosphate buffer saline (PBS), frozen at 270uC for at least 1 h and then homogenized in 50 mM Tris?HCl, pH 7.5 using a Potter Elvehjem tissue grinder. The homogenate was centrifuged at 1000 g for 15 min at 4uC to discard residual cells, nuclei and mitochondria. The membrane fraction was then collected upon supernatant centrifugation at 100,000 g for 30 min at 4uC. The pellet was resuspended in TrisHCl 50 mM, pH 7.4 and stored at 280uC after determination of the protein content. Ligand-binding assay. Binding parameters were determined on membrane preparations by using tritiated MOR agonist, [3H]-DAMGO 50 Ci/mmol (1.85 TBq/mmol), (Perkin Elmer, Boston, MA,. Membranes (1?0 mg) were suspended in50 mM Tris Cl, 0.1 bovine serum albumin (BSA), pH 7.4 and binding was determined by adding increasing amounts of radiolabeled ligands. Non-specific binding was determined in the presence of unlabeled opioid antagonist, naloxone. After incubation for 1 h at 25uC, free ligands were removed by rapidly filtering the samples on Whatman GF/B filters, prior incubation in 0.3 polyethylenimine. The filters were rinsed three times with 4 ml of ice cold 10 mM Tris Cl, pH 7.E with the solubilization buffer first with and then without urea and bmercaptoethanol. Ni-bound GPCR were eluted with a buffer containing 300 mM imidazole, 100 mM NaH2PO4, 10 mM Tris?HCl, 0.1 SDS, pH 8. Purity of the GPCR-enriched samples was assessed by silver nitrate staining and anti-c-myc Western-blotting. Then, GPCR preparations were either extensively dialysized against pure water and lyophilized or concentrated on a Centricon plus-20 centrifugal filter (Amicon, Millipore Corporation, MA).Antibodies against G-Protein Coupled ReceptorsFigure 4. Amino acid sequence alignment of neuropeptide FF receptors 2 from Human, rat and mouse. Amino acid sequences of NPFF receptors 2 from Human (hNPFFR2), rat (rNPFFR2) and mouse (mNPFFR2) were compared for their amino acid sequence identities. Amino acid residues conserved (identical) across all the three species are enclosed in grey boxes. Putative transmembrane segments (TM) are indicated by bold lines above the sequence. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0046348.gImmunization of mice. Experiments were performed in compliance with the relevant laws and institutional guidelines (INSERM) and were approved by the local ethics committee (Midi-Pyrenees, France). Eight-week-old BALB/c mice (Janvier, ??Le Genest Saint Isle, France) were injected subcutaneously with 100 mg of purified GPCR (lyophilized or solubilised in 0.1 SDS) emulsified in complete Freund’s adjuvant (Difco, Detroit, MI). Two subsequent injections two weeks apart were performed with same amounts of GPCR in incomplete Freund’s adjuvant. Blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture under general anesthesia. Cell culture and preparation of eukaryotic cell 23727046 membrane. CHO-K1 cells expressing unmodified GPCRsincluding hMOR/CHO, hKOR/CHO, hNPFFR2/CHO, mNPFFR2/CHO, rNPFFR2/CHO or the hMOR deleted for the first 61 amino acids of the extracellular NH2-terminal segment (D1-61hMOR) [41,42] were grown in high glucose DMEM (Invitrogen Corporation, Carlsbad, CA) supplemented with 10 fetal calf serum (FCS), 50 mg/ml gentamicine and 400 mg/ml geneticin G-418 sulfate to maintain 1407003 GPCR-expressing cell selection. Wild-type CHO-K1 cells [43] and the human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line [44] were grown in the same medium 
without selective antibiotics. For the preparation of membranes, cells were harvested in phosphate buffer saline (PBS), frozen at 270uC for at least 1 h and then homogenized in 50 mM Tris?HCl, pH 7.5 using a Potter Elvehjem tissue grinder. The homogenate was centrifuged at 1000 g for 15 min at 4uC to discard residual cells, nuclei and mitochondria. The membrane fraction was then collected upon supernatant centrifugation at 100,000 g for 30 min at 4uC. The pellet was resuspended in TrisHCl 50 mM, pH 7.4 and stored at 280uC after determination of the protein content. Ligand-binding assay. Binding parameters were determined on membrane preparations by using tritiated MOR agonist, [3H]-DAMGO 50 Ci/mmol (1.85 TBq/mmol), (Perkin Elmer, Boston, MA,. Membranes (1?0 mg) were suspended in50 mM Tris Cl, 0.1 bovine serum albumin (BSA), pH 7.4 and binding was determined by adding increasing amounts of radiolabeled ligands. Non-specific binding was determined in the presence of unlabeled opioid antagonist, naloxone. After incubation for 1 h at 25uC, free ligands were removed by rapidly filtering the samples on Whatman GF/B filters, prior incubation in 0.3 polyethylenimine. The filters were rinsed three times with 4 ml of ice cold 10 mM Tris Cl, pH 7.