AMINO ACID COMPOSITION AND SEQUENCE OF DERMORPHIN, A NOVEL OPIATE-LIKE PEPTIDE FROM THE SKIN OF PHYLLOMEDUSA SAUVAGEI

Dermorphin, a heptapeptide with very potent opiate‐like activity, has been isolated from methanol extracts of the skin of the South American frog Phyllomedusa sauvagei. The amino acid sequence of the peptide is: H‐Tyr‐D‐Ala‐Phe‐Gly‐Tyr‐Pro‐Ser‐NH2. Dermorphin presents striking differences from the known enkephalins; it offers a surprising example of a peptide from Vertebrata containing a D‐amino acid residue in its sequence.