Difference between revisions of "Part:BBa K200013"

Revision as of 14:54, 18 October 2009

Opiorphin + EK cleavage site

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.

Mechanism of Action

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.

EK Cleavage

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

Side Effects

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.

References

<biblio>

1. 1 pmid=18309357

</biblio>

Sequence and Features