Big dynorphin is a neuroprotector scaffold against amyloid β-peptide aggregation and cell toxicity [PDF]
Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal, 2022 Amyloid β-peptide (Aβ) misfolding into β-sheet structures triggers neurotoxicity inducing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Molecules able to reduce or to impair Aβ aggregation are highly relevant as possible AD treatments since they should protect against Aβ ...
Lucía Gallego-Villarejo +11 more
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Structure–function relationship of dynorphin B variants using naturally occurring amino acid substitutions [PDF]
Frontiers in PharmacologyDynorphins (Dyn) represent the subset of endogenous opioid peptides with the highest binding affinity to kappa opioid receptors (KOPrs). Activation of the G-protein-coupled pathway of KOPrs has strong anticonvulsant effects.
Luca Zangrandi +9 more
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Challenges and new opportunities for detecting endogenous opioid peptides in reward [PDF]
Addiction Neuroscience, 2022 The endogenous opioid peptide system, comprised of enkephalins, endorphins, dynorphins, and nociceptin, is a highly complex neurobiological system. Opioid peptides are derived from four precursor molecules and undergo several processing events yielding ...
Sineadh M. Conway +2 more
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Endogenous Opioids in Crohn’s Disease [PDF]
Biomedicines, 2023 Caring for patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) is a serious challenge in modern medicine. The increasing incidence of CD among adolescents and the severe course of the disease create the need for new methods of diagnosis and therapy.
Adrian Martyniak +2 more
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Structural basis of divergent substrate recognition and inhibition of human neurolysin [PDF]
Scientific ReportsA zinc metallopeptidase neurolysin (Nln) processes diverse bioactive peptides to regulate signaling in the mammalian nervous system. To understand how Nln interacts with various peptides with dissimilar sequences, we determined crystal structures of Nln ...
Ke Shi +7 more
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Regulation of Cortico-Thalamic JNK1/2 and ERK1/2 MAPKs and Apoptosis-Related Signaling Pathways in PDYN Gene-Deficient Mice Following Acute and Chronic Mild Stress. [PDF]
Int J Mol Sci, 2023 The crosstalk between the opioidergic system and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) has a critical role in mediating stress-induced behaviors related to the pathophysiology of anxiety.
Yáñez-Gómez F +4 more
europepmc +3 more sources
Dynorphin knockout reduces fat mass and increases weight loss during fasting in mice [PDF]
, 2007 Endogenous opioids, particularly dynorphins, have been implicated in regulation of energy balance, but it is not known how they mediate this in vivo. We investigated energy homeostasis in dynorphin knockout mice (Dyn -/- mice) and probed the interactions
Baldock, P +13 more
core +3 more sources
Preserving Neuronal Chemical Messengers: Heat Stabilization Versus Snap Freezing for Improved MALDI Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Brain Tissues. [PDF]
J NeurochemRapid heat stabilization of brain tissue preserves the natural levels and spatial distribution of neurotransmitters and neuropeptides better than traditional snap freezing. Using matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI‐MSI), we show that heat stabilization effectively prevents postmortem enzymatic degradation ...
Salviati E +7 more
europepmc +2 more sources
Editorial: Kappa opioid receptors revealed: Disentangling the pharmacology to open up new therapeutic strategies [PDF]
Frontiers in Pharmacology, 2022 Wendy Margaret Walwyn, Marta Valenza
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Effect of PDYN rs2281285, rs2235749 and rs910080 gene polymorphisms on the intensity of depression symptoms and negative craving in heroin addicts [PDF]
Archives of Biological Sciences, 2021 The present study was undertaken to explore whether prodynorphin (PDYN) polymorphisms have an effect on the intensity of depressive symptoms and negative craving in heroin addicts in a sample of 100 heroin addicts and 108 controls.
Kaya-Akyüzlü Dilek +3 more
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