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 Experiment Videos

Enkephalinase: selective inhibitors and partial characterization.

S Sullivan, H Akil, D Blacker

    Peptides
    |January 1, 1980
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

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

    Sort by
    Same author

    Differential acquisition of cocaine and heroin self-administration in a rat model of internalizing versus externalizing temperament.

    bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026
    Same author

    Electrophysiological evaluation of extracellular spermine and alkaline pH on synaptic human GABA<sub>A</sub> receptors.

    Translational psychiatry·2019
    Same author

    Quantitative validation of immunofluorescence and lectin staining using reduced CLARITY acrylamide formulations.

    Brain structure & function·2017
    Same author

    Genome-wide association study of borderline personality disorder reveals genetic overlap with bipolar disorder, major depression and schizophrenia.

    Translational psychiatry·2017
    Same author

    Variable telomere length across post-mortem human brain regions and specific reduction in the hippocampus of major depressive disorder.

    Translational psychiatry·2016
    Same author

    Nucleus accumbens cocaine-amphetamine regulated transcript mediates food intake during novelty conflict.

    Physiology & behavior·2016
    Same journal

    Potential role of intelectin-1 in the regulation of feeding of goldfish (Carassius auratus).

    Peptides·2026
    Same journal

    Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptides: Neuroanatomical distribution and functional implications in the mammalian central nervous system.

    Peptides·2026
    Same journal

    P1642-1, a novel pancreatic polypeptide analogue, ameliorates cognitive impairment in 5 ×FAD mice and is associated with enhanced PINK1/Parkin-related mitophagy.

    Peptides·2026
    Same journal

    Structure-based rational design of high-affinity JAZF1 variants peptides to target the testicular orphan nuclear receptor 4 and pro-opiomelanocortin axis in Cushing's disease.

    Peptides·2026
    Same journal

    [Gly<sup>2</sup>]-GLP-2(1-5): An ultra-short GLP-2 peptide for intestinal mucosal protection in inflammatory bowel disease.

    Peptides·2026
    Same journal

    The role of Kiss1 neurons in regulating metabolism and energy balance.

    Peptides·2026
    See all related articles

    Brain enzymes metabolize enkephalins. Researchers identified enkephalinase (an endopeptidase) as specific to the endogenous enkephalinergic system, with distinct inhibitors found for it and aminopeptidases.

    Area of Science:

    • Neurochemistry
    • Enzymology
    • Pharmacology

    Background:

    • Enkephalins are endogenous neuropeptides involved in pain modulation and other neurological functions.
    • Enkephalin metabolism in the brain is primarily carried out by two enzyme classes: endopeptidases and aminopeptidases.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To characterize enzymes that metabolize enkephalins in the brain.
    • To identify specific inhibitors for different classes of enkephalin-metabolizing enzymes.
    • To investigate the properties of enkephalinase and compare it with other enzymes like angiotensin-converting enzyme.

    Main Methods:

    • Enzyme activity assays were performed to study enkephalin metabolism.
    • Selective inhibitors were synthesized and tested against endopeptidases and aminopeptidases.

    Related Experiment Videos

  • Enzyme characteristics such as buffer dependence, chloride dependence, and inhibitor susceptibility were evaluated.

    • Main Results:

    • Enkephalinase, an endopeptidase cleaving the Gly-Phe bond, was identified as specific to the endogenous enkephalinergic system.
    • Selective inhibitors were found: parachloromercuriphenylsulfonic acid and puromycin for aminopeptidases, and enkephalin fragments for enkephalinase.
    • Enkephalinase shares properties with angiotensin-converting enzyme but differs in chloride dependence, buffer activity, and inhibitor susceptibility.

    Conclusions:

    • Enkephalinase is a key enzyme in the endogenous enkephalinergic system.
    • Distinct inhibitors can selectively target different enkephalin-metabolizing enzymes.
    • Enkephalinase exhibits unique properties differentiating it from angiotensin-converting enzyme, despite some shared characteristics.