Opioid Peptides
Synonyms
Endogenous Opiates
Opiate Peptides
Opiates, Endogenous
Opioid Peptide
Peptide, Opioid
Peptides, Opiate
Peptides, Opioid
The endogenous peptides with opiate-like activity. The three major classes currently recognized are the ENKEPHALINS, the DYNORPHINS, and the ENDORPHINS. Each of these families derives from different precursors, proenkephalin, prodynorphin, and PRO-OPIOMELANOCORTIN, respectively. There are also at least three classes of OPIOID RECEPTORS, but the peptide families do not map to the receptors in a simple way.