Difference between revisions of "Part:BBa K200013"
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<partinfo>BBa_K200013 short</partinfo>
 
<partinfo>BBa_K200013 short</partinfo>
  
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=Background=
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===Usage and Biology===
  
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Opiorphin is a pentapeptide (five amino acids long) that was isolated from human saliva in 1996. The amino acid sequence for opiorphin is Glutamine-Arginine-Phenylalanine-Serine-Arginine.
 
  
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Preliminary rat studies indicate that opiorphin has a pain killing effect six times stronger than that of morphine. With regards to its mechanism of action, opiorphin prevents the breakdown of enkephalins which are natural pain-killing opioids.  
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==Background==
 +
 
 +
Opiorphin is a pentapeptide (five amino acids long) that was isolated from human saliva in 1996. Opiorphin acts as a pain killing agent. The amino acid sequence for opiorphin is Glutamine-Arginine-Phenylalanine-Serine-Arginine.
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A combination of opiorphin's potency and natural presence in saliva have sparked a great deal of interest from a number of philosophical movements most notably from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Pearce_(philosopher) David Pearce] who belongs to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarianism#Negative negative utilitarian] school of ethics.
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==Mechanism of Action==
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Preliminary rat studies indicate that opiorphin has a pain killing effect six times stronger than that of morphine. Enkephalins which are natural pain-killing opioids, opiorphin inhibits two enkephalin-catabolizing ectoenzymes, human neutral ecto-endopeptidase, hNEP ([http://www.ebi.ac.uk/thornton-srv/databases/cgi-bin/enzymes/GetPage.pl?ec_number=3.4.24.11 EC 3.4.24.11]), and human ecto-aminopeptidase, hAP-N ([http://www.ebi.ac.uk/thornton-srv/databases/cgi-bin/enzymes/GetPage.pl?ec_number=3.4.11.2 EC 3.4.11.2]). This results in accumulated levels of enkephalins which results in a drop in pain perception <sup>3</sup>.
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==EK Cleavage==
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See [https://parts.igem.org/Part:BBa_K200013:Design Design Notes] for our rationale behind incorporating an EK cleavage sequence on the N terminus of the opiorphin pentapeptide.
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==Other Side Effects==
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<b>Priapism:</b>
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A recent study involved genetically engineering retired breeder rats to constitutively express opiorphin. Interestingly, this resulted in the development of a priapic-like condition. It is thought that this condition resulted from the upregulation of the ornithine decarboxylase gene (ODC) by opiorphin <sup>1</sup>.
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<b>Antidiarrheal:</b>
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In an in-vitro bioassay it was shown that opiorphin (in concentarions 10<sup>−6</sup> to 10<sup>−4</sup> M) caused colonic contraction in a concentration-dependent manner <sup>2</sup>. Based on this evidence, opiorphin could have potential as an antidiarrheal agent.
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<!-- Add more about the biology of this part here
 
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===Usage and Biology===
 
  
 
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<partinfo>BBa_K200013 parameters</partinfo>
 
<partinfo>BBa_K200013 parameters</partinfo>
 
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===References===
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<biblio>
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#1 pmid=19657052
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#2 pmid=19442408
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#3 pmid=17101991
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</biblio>

Latest revision as of 15:24, 18 October 2009

Opiorphin + EK cleavage site

Usage and Biology

Background

Opiorphin is a pentapeptide (five amino acids long) that was isolated from human saliva in 1996. Opiorphin acts as a pain killing agent. The amino acid sequence for opiorphin is Glutamine-Arginine-Phenylalanine-Serine-Arginine.

A combination of opiorphin's potency and natural presence in saliva have sparked a great deal of interest from a number of philosophical movements most notably from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Pearce_(philosopher) David Pearce] who belongs to the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utilitarianism#Negative negative utilitarian] school of ethics.

Mechanism of Action

Preliminary rat studies indicate that opiorphin has a pain killing effect six times stronger than that of morphine. Enkephalins which are natural pain-killing opioids, opiorphin inhibits two enkephalin-catabolizing ectoenzymes, human neutral ecto-endopeptidase, hNEP ([http://www.ebi.ac.uk/thornton-srv/databases/cgi-bin/enzymes/GetPage.pl?ec_number=3.4.24.11 EC 3.4.24.11]), and human ecto-aminopeptidase, hAP-N ([http://www.ebi.ac.uk/thornton-srv/databases/cgi-bin/enzymes/GetPage.pl?ec_number=3.4.11.2 EC 3.4.11.2]). This results in accumulated levels of enkephalins which results in a drop in pain perception 3.

EK Cleavage

See Design Notes for our rationale behind incorporating an EK cleavage sequence on the N terminus of the opiorphin pentapeptide.

Other Side Effects

Priapism:

A recent study involved genetically engineering retired breeder rats to constitutively express opiorphin. Interestingly, this resulted in the development of a priapic-like condition. It is thought that this condition resulted from the upregulation of the ornithine decarboxylase gene (ODC) by opiorphin 1.


Antidiarrheal:

In an in-vitro bioassay it was shown that opiorphin (in concentarions 10−6 to 10−4 M) caused colonic contraction in a concentration-dependent manner 2. Based on this evidence, opiorphin could have potential as an antidiarrheal agent.



Sequence and Features


Assembly Compatibility:
  • 10
    COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[10]
  • 12
    COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[12]
  • 21
    COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[21]
  • 23
    COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[23]
  • 25
    COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[25]
  • 1000
    COMPATIBLE WITH RFC[1000]



References

<biblio>

  1. 1 pmid=19657052
  1. 2 pmid=19442408
  1. 3 pmid=17101991

</biblio>