该基因编码的蛋白质是一种前蛋白，经蛋白质水解后形成分泌的阿片肽β-新内啡肽、强啡肽、亮氨酸-脑啡肽、利莫啡肽和亮氨酸吗啡肽这些肽是kappa型阿片受体的配体强啡肽参与调节对几种精神活性物质的反应，包括可卡因。已发现该基因的多个编码相同蛋白质的选择性剪接转录变体。[由RefSeq提供，2010年7月]
The protein encoded by this gene is a preproprotein that is proteolytically processed to form the secreted opioid peptides beta-neoendorphin, dynorphin, leu-enkephalin, rimorphin, and leumorphin. These peptides are ligands for the kappa-type of opioid receptor. Dynorphin is involved in modulating responses to several psychoactive substances, including cocaine. Multiple alternatively spliced transcript variants encoding the same protein have been found for this gene. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2010]