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| |Locus:||8 q23 -q24| An enkephalin is a pentapeptide involved
in regulating pain and nociception in the body. The enkephalins
are termed endogenous ligands, or specifically endorphins, as
they are internally derived and bind to the body's opioid
receptors and are morphine like in their action. Discovered in
1975, two forms of enkephalin were revealed, one containing
leucine ("leu"), while the other contains methionine ("met").
Both are products of the proenkephalin gene. Endogenous opioid
peptidesEdit There are three well-characterized families of
opioid peptides produced by the body: enkephalins, endorphins
and dynorphins. The met-enkephalin peptide sequence is coded for
by both the enkephalin gene and the endorphin gene (also known
as the POMC gene) and that the leu-enkephalin peptide sequence
is coded for by both the enkephalin gene and the dynorphin gene.
- Main article: Opioid rec