The effects of i.c.v. treatment with pertussis toxin (PTX) on the motivational effect of opioid agonists were examined in mice. Morphine (0.1-10 nmol, i.c.v.), [D-Ala2, N-MePhe4, Gly-ol5]enkephalin (DAGO, 0.001-0.1 nmol, i.c.v.), a selective mu-opioid receptor agonist, and [D-Pen2, D-Pen5]enkephalin (DPDPE, 1-15 nmol, i.c.v.), a selective delta-opioid receptor agonist, produced a dose-related place preference in mice. Administration of PTX (0.5 micrograms, i.c.v.) to mice resulted in no preference for either the drug- or vehicle-associated place. Pretreatment with PTX abolished the place preferences induced by DAGO (0.1 nmol), morphine (10 nmol) and DPDPE (15 nmol). These findings demonstrate that the appetitive effects of opioids result from the activation of central mu- and delta-receptors, and suggest that PTX-sensitive GTP-binding proteins in the central nervous system may be involved in the motivational effects of mu- and delta-opioid agonists.