mu-saporin

**mu-saporin** is a targeted immunotoxin composed of the ribosome-inactivating protein saporin chemically conjugated to a targeting molecule (typically an antibody, peptide, or ligand) specific for the mu (μ) opioid receptor. Saporin is derived from *Saponaria officinalis* and exerts its effect by depurinating adenine residues in the major rRNA, irreversibly inactivating ribosomes and thus blocking protein synthesis, leading to cell death[7][1][4]. As an immunotoxin, mu-saporin is commonly used in preclinical research to selectively ablate mu opioid receptor-expressing neurons for studies in pain, addiction, and neural circuit mapping. It does not inherently cross cell membranes and requires cell surface receptor-mediated internalization for toxicity[7].

Other names

mu-saporin