title: A human gene encoding morphine modulating peptides related to NPFF and FMRFamide.
abstract: FMRFamide-related peptides have been isolated from both invertebrates and vertebrates and exhibit a wide range of biological effects in rats. We show here that in humans 2 FMRFamide-related peptides are encoded by a single gene expressed as a spliced mRNA. The larger predicted peptide (AGEGLNSQFWSLAAPQRFamide) differs from the peptide isolated from bovines (AGEGLSSPFWSLAAPQRFamide) by the substitutions of 2 amino acids. The shorter predicted peptide (NPSF, SQAFLFQPQRFamide) is 3 amino acids longer than the bovine 8 amino-acid NPFF (FLFQPQRFamide) or the human NPFF peptide isolated from serum [5], suggesting that the encoded protein is subject to cleavage by a tripeptidyl peptidase or by a novel processing mechanism. On rat spinal cord, the larger peptide is indistinguishable in activity from the equivalent bovine peptide whereas the smaller extended peptide is inactive.
authors.affiliation: Sussex Centre for Neuroscience, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Perry
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yi-Kung Huang
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cronk
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bagust
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Burke
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002417:Cattle; D019835:FMRFamide; D005796:Genes; D015894:Genome, Human; D006801:Humans; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009020:Morphine / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D018847:Opioid Peptides / Q000235:genetics* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009479:Neuropeptides; D009842:Oligopeptides; D018847:Opioid Peptides; C105455:neuropeptide FF, Tyr(1)-N-methyl-Phe(3)-; D019835:FMRFamide; D009020:Morphine