Abstract
Melatonin (N-acetylserotonin) was isolated from the bovine pineal gland in the late fifties. Following this discovery, studies in birds and mammals have established that melatonin is synthesized and secreted by the pineal gland in a diurnal fashion with high levels in the dark period. This indole mediates many of the endocrine effects of the pineal gland such as entrainment of locomotor activity and seasonal reproduction in animals (Reiter, 1987; Reiter and Pang, 1989). A major site of pineal melatonin action appears to be the brain (Fraschini, 1969; Quay, 1970; Anton-Tay, 1971; Trentini, 1979).
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Pang, S.F. et al. (1991). Melatonin Binding Sites in the Nervous and Immune Systems. In: Fraschini, F., Reiter, R.J. (eds) Role of Melatonin and Pineal Peptides in Neuroimmunomodulation. NATO ASI Series, vol 204. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3756-4_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-3756-4_11
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