Opioids endogenous

Evidence soon emerged that the endogenous opioids were peptides rather than simple morphine-like molecules (9). The first direct evidence for endogenous opioids in brain extracts was provided in 1975 when two pentapeptides were purified that differed only in the carboxyl terminal amino acids (10) (Table 1). These peptides were called methionine- (Met-) and leucine- (Leu-) enkephalin, from the Greek term meaning in the head.  

At the time of the discovery of Met-enkephalin, its sequence was observed to be identical to that of residues 61—65 contained in the C-fragment of the pituitary hormone p-Hpotropin [12584-99-5] (p-LPH) (see Hormones), first isolated in 1964 (11). In 1976, the isolation of a larger peptide fragment, P-endorphin [60617-12-1] that also displayed opiate-like activity was reported (12). This peptide s 31-amino-acid sequence comprised residues 61—91 of P-LPH. Subsequentiy, another potent opioid peptide, dynorphin [72957-38-17, was isolated from pituitary (13). The first five amino acids (qv) of this 17-amino-acid peptide are identical to the Leu-enkephalin sequence (see Table 1). 

Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology (4th Edition) 

Group II consists of the enkephalins which come from the 267-aniino acid piecuisoi pro-enkephalin A [88402-54-4] (Fig. 2). This proteia contains four copies of Met-enkephalin, one copy of Leu-enkephalin, and the extended peptides Met-enkephalin-Arg -Phe (the last Met-enkephalin sequence ia Fig. 2) and Met-enkephalin-Arg -Gly -Leu (the fourth Met-enkephalin sequence ia Fig. 2) (25,26). AH of these products ate formed by trypsin-like cleavage between pairs of basic residues. The extended enkephalin peptides are further cleaved by carboxypeptidase E (27) to form authentic Met-enkephalin. 

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In the anterior pituitary gland (see Hormones, anteriorpituitaryhormones), both adrenocorticotropic hormones (ACTH) and the endogenous opiate hormone, P-endorphin, are synthesized from a common prohormone (2) (see Opioids,endogenous). In the adrenal medulla, five to seven copies of another opiate hormone, methionine—enkephalin (Met-enkephalin), and one copy of leucine—enkephalin (Leu-enkephalin) are synthesized from each precursor molecule (3). 

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