Met-enkephalin

Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Met

5 Amino Acids · MW: 573.67 Da

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Amino Acids

Molecular Weight

573.67 Da

Half-life

1-5 minutes in plasma

Research Score

4.6

Studies

1200

Storage

Store lyophilized at -20°C, reconstituted at 2-8°C

What is Met-enkephalin?

Met-enkephalin is an endogenous opioid pentapeptide that acts at opioid receptors and produces measurable antinociception in classic pain models. It is one of the foundational peptides used to study endogenous pain-control pathways and enkephalin metabolism.

Key Benefits & Mechanisms

endogenous opioid signaling

analgesic reference ligand

spinal antinociception

neurochemical pain-pathway probe

Research Summary

Met-enkephalin has been extensively used in receptor pharmacology and nociception studies to map mu and delta opioid biology. The main limitation in translational work is very short half-life from peptidase cleavage and poor systemic stability.

Related Peptides

Leu-enkephalin

Tyr-Gly-Gly-Phe-Leu

Leu-enkephalin is an endogenous enkephalin that binds opioid receptors and has well-characterized antinociceptive effects. It is widely used in research on delta-opioid signaling, peptide metabolism, and pain modulation.

Pain Management

DADLE

[D-Ala2, D-Leu5]-enkephalin

DADLE is a synthetic enkephalin analog designed to improve opioid-receptor activity and analgesic potency relative to natural enkephalins. It is a classic research compound for delta-opioid and spinal analgesia studies.

Pain Management

DPDPE

[D-Pen2, D-Pen5]-enkephalin

DPDPE is a cyclic enkephalin analog with strong delta-opioid selectivity and a long history in analgesia research. The disulfide-constrained structure makes it a valuable probe for studying receptor selectivity and peptide stability.

Pain Management

Endomorphin-1

Tyr-Pro-Trp-Phe-NH2

Endomorphin-1 is an endogenous tetrapeptide with high mu-opioid receptor affinity and potent analgesic activity in laboratory models. It is often studied as a naturally occurring peptide analgesic candidate and as a comparator for synthetic opioid peptides.

Pain Management