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.