title: Effects of indoleamines and short photoperiods on the encystment of Gonyaulax polyedra.
abstract: At a temperature of 15 degrees C, Gonyaulax polyedra responds to short days (light less than or equal to 10 h) by transition to the stage of a resting cyst. At 20 degrees C, even an light:dark (LD) cycle of 6:18 is incapable of inducing this process. In otherwise cyst-inducing conditions (15 degrees C; 10 h of light per day), an interruption of the scotophase by 2 h of light (LDLD 8:2:2:12 or 2:2:8:12) prevented encystment. Cyst induction is, therefore, initiated by a photoperiodic mechanism rather than by light deficiency. In Gonyaulax, photoperiodism may be mediated by the action of indoleamines. Melatonin, which exhibits a circadian rhythmicity in this organism, leads to encystment when given 1 h before lights-off in LD 11:13 at 15 degrees C, i.e., under otherwise noninducing conditions. Again, at 20 degrees C, melatonin is inefficient. Some analogues of melatonin, in particular, 5-methoxytryptamine and N,N-dimethyl-5-methoxytryptamine, and, at high concentrations, their respective precursors, serotonin and bufotenin, are capable of inducing cyst formation at 20 degrees C and in LD 12:12, whereas N-acetyl-serotonin does not show this effect.
authors.affiliation: I. Zoologisches Institut, Universität Göttingen, Germany.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Balzer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hardeland
mesh_terms: D008735:5-Methoxytryptamine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D002027:Bufotenin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003624:Darkness; D004141:Dinoflagellida / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D008027:Light; D012701:Serotonin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D002027:Bufotenin; D012701:Serotonin; D008735:5-Methoxytryptamine; C006389:N-acetylserotonin