We investigated the effects of morphine and other agonists on the human mu opioid receptor (MOP) expressed in M2 melanoma cells, lacking the actin cytoskeleton protein filamin A and in A7, a sub clone of the M2 melanoma cells, stably transfected with filamin A cDNA. The results of binding experiments showed, that after chronic morphine treatment (24 hr) of A7 cells, MOP binding sites were down-regulated to 63% of control, whereas, unexpectedly, in M2 cells, MOP binding was upregulated to 188% of control naïve cells. Similar up-regulation was observed with the agonists methadone and levorphanol. The presence of antagonists (naloxone or CTAP) during chronic morphine treatment inhibited MOP down-regulation in A7 cells. In contrast, morphine-induced upregulation of MOP in M2 cells was further increased by these antagonists. Chronic morphine desensitized MOP in A7 cells, i.e. it decreased DAMGO-induced stimulation of GTPγS binding. In M2 cells DAMGO stimulation of GTPγS binding was significantly greater than in A7 cells and was not desensitized by chronic morphine. Pertussis toxin treatment abolished morphine-induced receptor up-regulation in M2 cells, whereas it had no effect on morphine-induced down-regulation in A7 cells. These results indicate that, in the absence of filamin A, chronic treatment with morphine, methadone or levorphanol leads to up-regulation of MOP, to our knowledge, the first instance of opioid receptor up-regulation by agonists in cell culture.