Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners01:20

Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners

293
Opioids are a class of drugs that mimic endogenous opioid peptides and act on opioid receptors, and help in pain relief. These compounds are classified as natural, synthetic, or semi-synthetic. Natural opioids, like morphine, codeine, and thebaine, are derived from the opium poppy plant (Papaver somniferum or Papaver album) and are termed opiates. Synthetic opioids are artificial, while semi-synthetic opioids combine natural and synthetic compounds. Morphine, a prototypical opioid, possesses a...
293
Opioid Receptors: Overview01:22

Opioid Receptors: Overview

1.0K
Opioid receptors, including the mu (μ, MOR), delta (δ, DOR), and kappa (κ, KOR) types, belong to the rhodopsin family of G protein-coupled receptors. These receptors are located throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems and in non-neuronal tissues such as macrophages and astrocytes. Opioid receptor ligands can be categorized into agonists or antagonists. Highly selective agonists include [d-Ala2, MePhe4, Gly(ol)5]-enkephalin or DAMGO for MOR, [D-Pen2,...
1.0K
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids01:15

Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids

336
Synthetic and semisynthetic opioids are pivotal in pain management and tackling opioid addiction. Semisynthetic opioids, including morphinans (morphine derivatives), oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone, have improved pharmacokinetic profiles compared to morphine. Additionally, heroin and 6-MAM (6-Monoacetylmorphine) show better CNS penetration than morphine due to heightened lipid solubility. Hydromorphone, a potent opioid, undergoes hepatic metabolism to form the active...
336
Analgesia and Pain Management01:25

Analgesia and Pain Management

660
Pain is critical to various clinical pathologies, provoking an urgent need for effective management. Pain, whether acute or chronic, is a complex neurochemical process. Its alleviation depends on the type, with nonopioid analgesics effective for mild to moderate pain, such as musculoskeletal or inflammatory pain, while neuropathic pain responds best to anticonvulsants, tricyclic antidepressants, or serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors. For severe acute or chronic pain, opioids may be...
660
Amino Acid Biosynthetic Pathways01:29

Amino Acid Biosynthetic Pathways

38
Amino acid biosynthesis is essential for cell growth, protein synthesis, and metabolic regulation. Cells generate essential and non-essential amino acids from metabolic intermediates to sustain vital biological functions. These intermediates originate from key metabolic pathways: glycolysis, the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, and the pentose phosphate pathway. Important precursors include α-ketoglutarate, pyruvate, oxaloacetate, phosphoenolpyruvate, and erythrose-4-phosphate, which...
38
Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis01:29

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis

1.4K
Drugs affecting neurotransmitter synthesis can impact the adrenergic neuron and the synthesis of neurotransmitters. For example, α-methyltyrosine and carbidopa target specific enzymes involved in catecholamine synthesis. α-methyltyrosine inhibits the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase, which converts tyrosine into dopamine. By blocking this enzyme, α-methyltyrosine reduces dopamine production and other catecholamines. Carbidopa, on the other hand, inhibits the enzyme dopa decarboxylase,...
1.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Ancient gene clusters govern the initiation of monoterpenoid indole alkaloid biosynthesis and C3 stereochemistry inversion.

Nature communications·2025
Same author

Stereochemical insights into sarpagan and akuammiline alkaloid biosynthesis.

The New phytologist·2025
Same author

Oxidation of four monoterpenoid indole alkaloid classes by three cytochrome P450 monooxygenases from Tabernaemontana litoralis.

The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology·2024
Same author

Characterization of a vacuolar importer of secologanin in Catharanthus roseus.

Communications biology·2024
Same author

Chemical, pharmacological properties and biosynthesis of opioid mitragynine in Mitragyna speciosa (kratom).

Current opinion in plant biology·2024
Same author

De novo biosynthesis of antiarrhythmic alkaloid ajmaline.

Nature communications·2024

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 20, 2025

Rapid High-throughput Species Identification of Botanical Material Using Direct Analysis in Real Time High Resolution Mass Spectrometry
11:14

Rapid High-throughput Species Identification of Botanical Material Using Direct Analysis in Real Time High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Published on: October 2, 2016

11.6K

Biosynthesis of kratom opioids.

Kyunghee Kim1, Mohammadamin Shahsavarani2, Jorge Jonathan Oswaldo Garza-García2

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S 3A1, Canada.

The New Phytologist
|July 31, 2023
PubMed
Summary

Researchers elucidated the mitragynine biosynthesis pathway, enabling microbial production of kratom opioids. This breakthrough offers a potential alternative to traditional opioids with a safer side effect profile.

Keywords:
Mitragyna speciosaenol methyltransferasekratommitragyninemitragynine microbial biosynthesismonoterpenoid indole alkaloidopioidsynthetic biology

More Related Videos

Author Spotlight: An Efficient Methodology to Confidently Differentiate and Characterize Fentanyl Analogs
10:13

Author Spotlight: An Efficient Methodology to Confidently Differentiate and Characterize Fentanyl Analogs

Published on: November 8, 2024

2.3K
A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products
07:59

A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products

Published on: October 4, 2019

9.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 20, 2025

Rapid High-throughput Species Identification of Botanical Material Using Direct Analysis in Real Time High Resolution Mass Spectrometry
11:14

Rapid High-throughput Species Identification of Botanical Material Using Direct Analysis in Real Time High Resolution Mass Spectrometry

Published on: October 2, 2016

11.6K
Author Spotlight: An Efficient Methodology to Confidently Differentiate and Characterize Fentanyl Analogs
10:13

Author Spotlight: An Efficient Methodology to Confidently Differentiate and Characterize Fentanyl Analogs

Published on: November 8, 2024

2.3K
A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products
07:59

A Customizable Approach for the Enzymatic Production and Purification of Diterpenoid Natural Products

Published on: October 4, 2019

9.9K

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Pharmacology
  • Plant Science

Background:

  • Mitragynine, an alkaloid from Mitragyna speciosa (kratom), is a potential analgesic alternative to clinical opioids due to its favorable side effect profile.
  • Despite traditional use in Southeast Asia for pain and stimulation, the biosynthetic pathway of mitragynine remains uncharacterized.
  • Understanding this pathway is crucial for exploring kratom's therapeutic potential and developing novel analgesics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify and characterize genes involved in the mitragynine biosynthesis pathway.
  • To achieve microbial biosynthesis of mitragynine and its stereoisomer, speciogynine.
  • To explore the potential for generating kratom opioid derivatives through enzyme promiscuity.

Main Methods:

  • Searched kratom and Rubiaceae family transcriptomes for biosynthetic genes.
  • Performed in vitro and in vivo functional studies of identified enzymes.
  • Utilized enzymes from various sources, including Psilocybe cubensis and Hamelia patens, to reconstitute the pathway in yeast and E. coli.
  • Supplied tryptamine and secologanin as precursors for microbial biosynthesis.

Main Results:

  • Identified several reductases and a novel enol methyltransferase within the SABATH family.
  • Discovered a methyltransferase from Hamelia patens catalyzing the final step of the pathway.
  • Successfully achieved a four-step microbial biosynthesis of mitragynine and speciogynine using heterologous enzymes and microbial hosts.
  • Demonstrated enzyme promiscuity, suggesting potential for analog synthesis.

Conclusions:

  • The mitragynine biosynthesis pathway has been elucidated, completing our understanding of its formation.
  • Microbial biosynthesis of kratom opioids has been achieved for the first time, opening avenues for sustainable production.
  • The identified enzymes and pathway provide a foundation for developing novel kratom-derived analgesics and exploring their therapeutic applications.