該基因編碼的蛋白質是一種前蛋白，經蛋白質水解后形成分泌的阿片肽β-新內啡肽、強啡肽、亮氨酸-腦啡肽、利莫啡肽和亮氨酸嗎啡肽這些肽是kappa型阿片受體的配體強啡肽參與調節對幾種精神活性物質的反應，包括可卡因。已發現該基因的多個編碼相同蛋白質的選擇性剪接轉錄變體。
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.