PENK
Description
The PENK (proenkephalin) is a protein-coding gene located on chromosome 8.
PENK (Proenkephalin) is a hormone that generates enkephalin peptides like [Met]enkephalin and [Leu]enkephalin through proteolytic cleavage. Each proenkephalin peptide produces four copies of [Met]enkephalin, two extended copies of [Met]enkephalin, and one copy of [Leu]enkephalin. While [Leu]enkephalin is predominantly synthesized from prodynorphin, which produces three copies per cleavage without any [Met]enkephalin. PENK also yields other opioid peptides like adrenorphin, amidorphin, BAM-18, BAM-20P, BAM-22P, peptide B, peptide E, and peptide F. PENK is primarily produced by the striatum's medium spiny neurons, which degenerate in early Huntington's disease (HD).
[Met-enkephalin]: A neuropeptide that mimics the effects of opiate drugs. It plays a role in various physiological functions, including pain perception and stress responses.
PENK is also known as PE, PENK-A.
Associated Diseases
- type 2 diabetes mellitus
- ovarian cancer
- thyroid gland adenocarcinoma
- gastrointestinal stromal tumor
- acute kidney failure
