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A crystal molecular conformation of leucine‐enkephalin related to the morphine molecule
Author(s) -
Aubry A.,
Birlirakis N.,
SakarellosDaitsiotis M.,
Sakarellos C.,
Marraud M.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
biopolymers
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.556
H-Index - 125
eISSN - 1097-0282
pISSN - 0006-3525
DOI - 10.1002/bip.360280106
Subject(s) - chemistry , molecule , crystallography , tyramine , stereochemistry , enkephalin , alkane stereochemistry , morphine , crystal structure , receptor , biochemistry , organic chemistry , opioid , medicine , pharmacology
Leucine‐enkephalin (Try 1 ‐Gly 2 ‐Gly 3 ‐Phe 4 ‐Leu 5 ) has been crytallized as a trihydrate from water solution. X‐ray diffraction reveals a tightly folded molecular conformation with two fused βIII‐ (Gly 2 ‐Gly 3 ) and βI‐ (Gly 3 ‐Phe 4 ) turns. The Tyr 1 and Phe 4 aromatic rings have a close orthogonal arrangement analogous to the tyramine and cyclohexenyl rings in morphine. This suggests that the conformation found in the trihydrate crystal structure could be required for recognition by μ‐receptor sites.