New actions of melatonin and their relevance to biometeorology |
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Authors: | Rüdiger Hardeland |
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Institution: | I. Zoologisches Institut, Universit?t G?ttingen, Berliner Strasse 28, D-37073 G?ttingen, Germany, DE
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Abstract: | Melatonin is not only produced by the pineal gland, retina and parietal but also by various other tissues and cells from
vertebrates, invertebrates, fungi, plants, multicellular algae and by unicells. In plants, many invertebrates and unicells,
its concentration often exceeds that found in vertebrate blood by several orders of magnitude. The action of melatonin is
highly pleiotropic. It involves firstly, direct effects, via specific binding sites in various peripheral tissues and cells
of vertebrates, including immunomodulation; secondly, systemic influences on the cytoskeleton and nitric oxide formation,
mediated by calmodulin; and thirdly, antioxidative protection, perhaps also in the context of photoprotection in plants and
unicells. In some dinoflagellates, melatonin conveys temperature signals. On the basis of these comparisons, melatonin appears
to mediate and modulate influences from several major environmental factors, such as the photoperiod, radiation intensity
and temperature.
Received: 18 March 1997 / Accepted: 16 July 1997 |
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Keywords: | Circadian Calmodulin Melatonin Oxidative stress Seasonality |
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