title: An opioid peptide from synganglia of the tick, Amblyomma testindinarium.
abstract: An opioid peptide, which shares similarity with mammalian hemorphins, has been identified from the synganglia (central nervous system) of the hard tick, Amblyomma testindiarium. Its primary sequence was established as LVVYPWTKM that contains a tetrapeptide sequence Tyr-Pro-Trp-Thr of hemorphin-like opioid peptides. By hot-plate bioassay, the purified peptide and synthetic peptide displayed dose-related antinociceptive effect in mice, as observed for other hemorphin-like opioid peptides. This is the first opioid peptide identified from ticks. Ticks may utilize the opioid peptide in their strategy to escape host immuno-surveillance as well as in inhibiting responses directed against themselves.
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, Nanjing Agriculture University, Nanjing, Jiangshu 210095, China.
authors.forename: Jian-guo
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Ren
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Huw H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Rees
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000700:Analgesics / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005260:Female; D017952:Ganglia, Invertebrate / Q000737:chemistry*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000737:chemistry; D018847:Opioid Peptides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D019032:Spectrometry, Mass, Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization; D013987:Ticks
chemical_list: D000700:Analgesics; D009842:Oligopeptides; D018847:Opioid Peptides