Dermorphin Explained

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

• Deltorphin
• Deltorphin I

Notes and References

1. Melchiorri P, Negri L . The dermorphin peptide family . Gen. Pharmacol. . 27 . 7 . 1099–107 . 1996 . 8981054 . 10.1016/0306-3623(95)02149-3.
2. Book: Amiche M, Delfour A, Nicolas P . Opioid peptides from frog skin . D-Amino Acids in Sequences of Secreted Peptides of Multicellular Organisms . Exs . 85 . 57–71 . 1998 . 9949868 . 10.1007/978-3-0348-8837-0_4. 31 January 2024 . 978-3-0348-9794-5 .
3. Erspamer V, Melchiorri P, Falconieri-Erspamer G . 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 . 1989 . 2544892 . 10.1073/pnas.86.13.5188 . 297583. 1989PNAS...86.5188E . etal. free .
4. Broccardo M, Erspamer V, Falconieri Erspamer G . Pharmacological data on dermorphins, a new class of potent opioid peptides from amphibian skin . Br. J. Pharmacol. . 73 . 3 . 625–31 . 1981 . 7195758 . 2071698 . 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1981.tb16797.x. etal.
5. Kreil G . Peptides containing a D-amino acid from frogs and molluscs . J. Biol. Chem. . 269 . 15 . 10967–70 . 15 April 1994. 10.1016/S0021-9258(19)78075-2 . 8157620 . free .
6. Heck SD, Faraci WS, Kelbaugh PR, Saccomano NA, Thadeio PF, Volkmann RA . 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 . 1996 . 8633012 . 10.1073/pnas.93.9.4036 . 39482. 1996PNAS...93.4036H . free .
7. News: Bogdanich W . Turning to Frogs for Illegal Aid in Horse Races. 19 June 2012. New York Times. 19 June 2012.