Wikipedia

Dermorphin

Dermorphin is a hepta-peptide first isolated from the skin of South American frogs belonging to the genus Phyllomedusa.[1] The peptide is an agonist with high potency and selectivity to mu opioid receptors.[2][3] Dermorphin is about 30–40 times more potent than morphine.[4] The amino acid sequence of dermorphin is H-Tyr-D-Ala-Phe-Gly-Tyr-Pro-Ser-NH2.

Dermorphin
Skeletal formula of dermorphin
Space-filling model of the dermorphin molecule
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChEMBL
ChemSpider
UNII
  • InChI=1S/C40H50N8O10/c1-23(44-37(55)29(41)18-25-9-13-27(50)14-10-25)36(54)46-30(19-24-6-3-2-4-7-24)38(56)43-21-34(52)45-31(20-26-11-15-28(51)16-12-26)40(58)48-17-5-8-33(48)39(57)47-32(22-49)35(42)53/h2-4,6-7,9-16,23,29-33,49-51H,5,8,17-22,41H2,1H3,(H2,42,53)(H,43,56)(H,44,55)(H,45,52)(H,46,54)(H,47,57)/t23-,29+,30+,31+,32+,33+/m1/s1 ☒N
    Key: FHZPGIUBXYVUOY-VWGYHWLBSA-N ☒N
  • InChI=1/C40H50N8O10/c1-23(44-37(55)29(41)18-25-9-13-27(50)14-10-25)36(54)46-30(19-24-6-3-2-4-7-24)38(56)43-21-34(52)45-31(20-26-11-15-28(51)16-12-26)40(58)48-17-5-8-33(48)39(57)47-32(22-49)35(42)53/h2-4,6-7,9-16,23,29-33,49-51H,5,8,17-22,41H2,1H3,(H2,42,53)(H,43,56)(H,44,55)(H,45,52)(H,46,54)(H,47,57)/t23-,29+,30+,31+,32+,33+/m1/s1
    Key: FHZPGIUBXYVUOY-VWGYHWLBBR
  • C[C@H](C(=O)N[C@@H](CC1=CC=CC=C1)C(=O)NCC(=O)N[C@@H](CC2=CC=C(C=C2)O)C(=O)N3CCC[C@H]3C(=O)N[C@@H](CO)C(=O)N)NC(=O)[C@H](CC4=CC=C(C=C4)O)N
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).
☒N verify (what is checkY☒N ?)

Dermorphin is not found in humans or other mammals and similar D-amino acid containing peptides have only been found in bacteria, amphibians, and molluscs.[5] Dermorphin appears to be made via the posttranslational modification of a precursor peptide by an amino acid isomerase.[6] This unusual process is needed because the D-alanine in this peptide is not part of the standard genetic code.

Illicit use

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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

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References

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  1. ↑ Melchiorri P, Negri L (1996). "The dermorphin peptide family". Gen. Pharmacol. 27 (7): 1099–107. doi:10.1016/0306-3623(95)02149-3. PMID 8981054.
  2. ↑ Amiche M, Delfour A, Nicolas P (1998). "Opioid peptides from frog skin". D-Amino Acids in Sequences of Secreted Peptides of Multicellular Organisms. Vol. 85. pp. 57–71. doi:10.1007/978-3-0348-8837-0_4 (inactive 11 July 2025). ISBN 978-3-0348-9794-5. PMID 9949868. {{cite book}}: |journal= ignored (help)CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of July 2025 (link)
  3. ↑ Erspamer V, Melchiorri P, Falconieri-Erspamer G, et al. (1989). "Deltorphins: a family of naturally occurring peptides with high affinity and selectivity for delta opioid binding sites". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86 (13): 5188–92. Bibcode:1989PNAS...86.5188E. doi:10.1073/pnas.86.13.5188. PMC 297583. PMID 2544892.
  4. ↑ Broccardo M, Erspamer V, Falconieri Erspamer G, et al. (1981). "Pharmacological data on dermorphins, a new class of potent opioid peptides from amphibian skin". Br. J. Pharmacol. 73 (3): 625–31. doi:10.1111/j.1476-5381.1981.tb16797.x. PMC 2071698. PMID 7195758.
  5. ↑ Kreil G (15 April 1994). "Peptides containing a D-amino acid from frogs and molluscs". J. Biol. Chem. 269 (15): 10967–70. doi:10.1016/S0021-9258(19)78075-2. PMID 8157620.
  6. ↑ Heck SD, Faraci WS, Kelbaugh PR, Saccomano NA, Thadeio PF, Volkmann RA (1996). "Posttranslational amino acid epimerization: enzyme-catalyzed isomerization of amino acid residues in peptide chains". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 93 (9): 4036–9. Bibcode:1996PNAS...93.4036H. doi:10.1073/pnas.93.9.4036. PMC 39482. PMID 8633012.
  7. ↑ Bogdanich W (19 June 2012). "Turning to Frogs for Illegal Aid in Horse Races". New York Times. Retrieved 19 June 2012.
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