Summary
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1.
The eyestalk of the land crab,Gecarcinus lateralis, is rich in Met-enkephalin-like materials. Leu-enkephalin, if present, is at a level which is below the sensitivity of our assay.
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2.
The brain (cerebral ganglion) of this organism contains both Met- and Leu-enkephalin-like materials. Material which was reactive with our Met-enkephalin antibody was also detected in a peak that migrated after Leu-enkephalin.
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3.
This biochemical study confirms earlier immunohistochemical reports which indicated that opioid substances are present in crustaceans. It also strongly supports the concept that opioid mechanisms are a product of early evolution and further demonstrates that the sequence of the smaller opioid compounds has been conserved.
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Leung, M.K., Kessler, H., Whitefield, K. et al. The presence of enkephalin-like substances in the eyestalk and brain of the land crabGecarcinus lateralis . Cell Mol Neurobiol 7, 91–96 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00734992
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00734992