Three genetically different peptide families {endorphin}| include proopiomelanocortin (POMC), proenkephalins, and prodynorphin. One large exon encodes peptides derived from proenkephalin and POMC, so this gene encodes related behaviors.
locations
Pituitary-gland intermediated lobe and anterior lobe synthesize POMC. Cortex, spinal-cord neurons, adrenal medulla, and gut make proenkephalins. Gut, posterior pituitary, hypothalamus, basal ganglia, and brainstem make prodynorphin.
types
Alpha-endorphin soothes. Beta-endorphin causes analgesia. Gamma-endorphin irritates.
biology
Endorphins are neurohormones or neurotransmitters. Endorphins bind to opiate receptors to inhibit pain-information transmission and cause analgesia. Peripheral pain-receptor stimulation thresholds increase, and central pain perception becomes less sensitive. CREB regulates endorphin production.
Pituitary hormones {encephalin} {enkephalin}| can have five-amino-acid opioid cores, bind to morphine-binding sites, and inhibit pain-information transmission. Enkephalins can acetylate, amidate, phosphorylate, glycosylate, and methylate. Methionine-enkephalin and leucine-enkephalin are peptides, act as opioids, and are in area postrema, locus coeruleus, medulla oblongata, pons, retina, superior olive, spinal cord, and ventral pallidum. Methionine-enkephalins are beta-endorphin precursors. Leucine-enkephalins are dynorphin precursors.
functions
Sympathetic-nervous-system enkephalins control blood vessels, regulate local blood flow and pressure, and cause analgesia.
Basal-ganglia, hypothalamus, pituitary-gland, and adrenal-gland peptides {opiate peptide}| {opioid peptide} can act as analgesics when in cerebrospinal fluid. Repeated stressful stimuli release opioids. Basal ganglia opiate peptides include dynorphin, beta-endorphin, met-enkephalin, leu-enkephelin, and kyotorphin. Bony fish and higher animals have opiate systems.
Hormones {proenkephalin} can act on posterior pituitary hormones, to control blood volume and regulate blood pressure. Cortex neurons, spinal-cord neurons, adrenal medulla, and gut make proenkephalins.
Anterior pituitary, mediobasal hypothalamus arcuate nucleus, and solitary-tract nucleus make opiate peptides {proopiomelanocortin} (POMC). POMC releases ACTH, endorphins, and melanocyte-stimulating hormones. POMC influences adrenal cortex and blood pressure.
4-Zoology-Organ-Endocrine Gland-Hormone-Nerve
Outline of Knowledge Database Home Page
Description of Outline of Knowledge Database
Date Modified: 2022.0225