Enkephalinase Explained

Enkephalinases are enzymes that degrade endogenous enkephalin opioid peptides. They include:

• Aminopeptidase N (APN)^[1]
• Neutral endopeptidase (NEP)
• Dipeptidyl peptidase 3 (DPP3)
• Carboxypeptidase A6 (CPA6)^[2]
• Leucyl/cystinyl aminopeptidase (LNPEP)
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)^[3]

See also

• Enkephalinase inhibitor
• Oxytocinase

Notes and References

1. Thanawala V, Kadam VJ, Ghosh R . Enkephalinase inhibitors: potential agents for the management of pain . Current Drug Targets . 9 . 10 . 887–94 . October 2008 . 18855623 . 10.2174/138945008785909356 . https://archive.today/20130414094722/http://www.bentham-direct.org/pages/content.php?CDT/2008/00000009/00000010/0009J.SGM . dead . 2013-04-14 .
2. Lyons PJ, Callaway MB, Fricker LD . Characterization of carboxypeptidase A6, an extracellular matrix peptidase . The Journal of Biological Chemistry . 283 . 11 . 7054–63 . March 2008 . 18178555 . 10.1074/jbc.M707680200 . free .
3. Benuck M, Berg MJ, Marks N . Separate metabolic pathways for Leu-enkephalin and Met-enkephalin-Arg(6)-Phe(7) degradation by rat striatal synaptosomal membranes . Neurochemistry International . 4 . 5 . 389–96 . 1982 . 20487892 . 10.1016/0197-0186(82)90081-X. 23138078 .