Enkephalin
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General function
Enkephalins were the first reported evidence of endogenous opioids in the brain, by John Hughes and Hans Kosterlitz in 1975 [1] [2]. They are pentapeptides that can be divided into two groups based on their carboxy-terminal amino acids: methionine-enkephalin and leucine-enkephalin. Enkephalin acts as a neurotransmitter through opioid receptors, more specifically through the classical opioid receptor δ [3]. The main functions of enkephalins include analgesia, but they are also involved in the control of respiratory, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal functions, and participate in neuroendocrine regulation [4] [5] [6].
Enkephalin is generated from the cleavage of the precursor pro-enkephalin, resulting in Met-enkephalin or Leu-enkephalin. The processing of one molecule of pro-enkephalin generates six copies of Met-enkephalin and one copy of Leu-enkephalin [3].
Enkephalin is mainly distributed throughout the central, peripheral and autonomic nervous system in mammals [3]. However, opioid receptors are broadly distributed in the body, such as the cardiac and gastrointestinal systems.
Physiological functions
Analgesia
Stress response regulation
Pathophysiology
Structure
Clinical relevance
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References
- ↑ John Hughes, Terry Smith, Barry Morgan, Linda Fothergill, Purification and properties of enkephalin — The possible endogenous ligand for the morphine receptor, Life Sciences, Volume 16, Issue 12,1975,Pages 1753-1758,ISSN 0024-3205,https://doi.org/10.1016/0024-3205(75)90268-4.
- ↑ Hans W. Kosterlitz, John Hughes, Some thoughts on the significance of enkephalin, the endogenous ligand, Life Sciences, Volume 17, Issue 1, 1975, Pages 91-96, ISSN 0024-3205, https://doi.org/10.1016/0024-3205(75)90243-X.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Cullen JM, Cascella M. Physiology, Enkephalin. [Updated 2021 Mar 31]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2021 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK557764/
- ↑ Marcotte, I., Separovic, F., Auger, M., & Gagné, S. M. (2004). A multidimensional 1H NMR investigation of the conformation of methionine-enkephalin in fast-tumbling bicelles. Biophysical journal, 86(3), 1587–1600. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-3495(04)74226-5
- ↑ Cesselin, F. 1997. Endomorphines, Récepteurs des Opioïdes et Nociception. In Douleurs: Bases Fondamentales, Pharmacologie, Douleurs Aiguës, Douleurs Chroniques, Thérapeutiques. L. Brasseur, M. Chauvin, G. Guilbaud, and P. Guesnon, editors. Maloine, Paris, France.
- ↑ Fuxe, K., Borroto-Escuela, D. O., Romero-Fernandez, W., Diaz-Cabiale, Z., Rivera, A., Ferraro, L., Tanganelli, S., Tarakanov, A. O., Garriga, P., Narváez, J. A., Ciruela, F., Guescini, M., & Agnati, L. F. (2012). Extrasynaptic neurotransmission in the modulation of brain function. Focus on the striatal neuronal-glial networks. Frontiers in physiology, 3, 136. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2012.00136
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