Difference between revisions of "Part:BBa K200013"

Revision as of 15:10, 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 David Pearce who belongs to the negative utilitarian school of ethics.

[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Pearce_(philosopher) David Pearce]

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

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

1 pmid=19657052

2 pmid=19442408

</biblio>

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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. Opiorphin's potency and natural presence in saliva have inspired a number of philosophical movements advocating a 'pain free existance'.
+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 David Pearce who belongs to the negative utilitarian school of ethics.
+[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Pearce_(philosopher) David Pearce]
 ==Mechanism of Action==