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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1976 Nov;73(11):3942–3946. doi: 10.1073/pnas.73.11.3942

Isolation, primary structure, and synthesis of α-endorphin and γ-endorphin, two peptides of hypothalamic-hypophysial origin with morphinomimetic activity

Nicholas Ling 1, Roger Burgus 1, Roger Guillemin 1
PMCID: PMC431275  PMID: 1069261

Abstract

The isolation and primary structure of two peptides with morphinomimetic activity, obtained from an extract of porcine hypothalamus-neurohypophysis, are described. The amino acid sequence of the two peptides, named α-endorphin and γ-endorphin, was determined by mass spectrometry and densyl-Edman methods to be H-Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met-Thr-Ser-Glu-Lys-Ser-Gln-Thr-Pro-Leu-Val-Thr-OH and H-Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met-Thr-Ser-Glu-Lys-Ser-Gln-Thr-Pro-Leu-Val-Thr-Leu-OH, respectively. These correspond to the amino acid sequences present between residues 61 and 76 and residues 61 and 77 of the various β-lipotropins. A third peptide also obtained in pure from in these studies was found to be an unstable salt of α-endorphin.

Keywords: opiates, endogenous ligand, mass spectrometry, high pressure chromatography

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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