Chemistry:Dermorphin

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Short description: Opioid agonist peptide compound
Dermorphin
Skeletal formula of dermorphin
Space-filling model of the dermorphin molecule
Names
Other names
Tyrosyl-alanyl-phenylalanyl-glycyl-tyrosyl-prolyl-serinamide
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChEMBL
ChemSpider
UNII
Properties
C40H50N8O10
Molar mass 802.886 g·mol−1
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Dermorphin is a hepta-peptide first isolated from the skin of South American frogs belonging to the genus Phyllomedusa.[1] The peptide is a natural opioid that binds as an agonist with high potency and selectivity to mu opioid receptors.[2][3] Dermorphin is about 30–40 times more potent than morphine, but theoretically may be less likely to produce drug tolerance and addiction due to its high potency.[4] The amino acid sequence of dermorphin is H-Tyr-D-Ala-Phe-Gly-Tyr-Pro-Ser-NH2.

Dermorphin is not found in humans or other mammals and similar D-amino acid peptides have only been found in bacteria, amphibians, and molluscs.[5] Dermorphin appears to be made in these through an unusual posttranslational modification carried out by an amino acid isomerase.[6] This unusual process is needed because the D-alanine in this peptide is not among the 20 amino acids coded for in the genetic code and thus the peptide cannot be synthesized in the usual way from the encodings in the genome of an organism.

Illicit use

Dermorphin has been illegally used in horse racing as a performance-enhancing drug. Due to dermorphin's painkilling activity, horses treated with dermorphin may run harder than they would otherwise.[7]

See also

References