title: Pineal serotonin N-acetyltransferase: expression cloning and molecular analysis.
abstract: Pineal serotonin N-acetyltransferase (arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase, or AA-NAT) generates the large circadian rhythm in melatonin, the hormone that coordinates daily and seasonal physiology in some mammals. Complementary DNA encoding ovine AA-NAT was cloned. The abundance of AA-NAT messenger RNA (mRNA) during the day was high in the ovine pineal gland and somewhat lower in retina. AA-NAT mRNA was found unexpectedly in the pituitary gland and in some brain regions. The night-to-day ratio of ovine pineal AA-NAT mRNA is less than 2. In contrast, the ratio exceeds 150 in rats. AA-NAT represents a family within a large superfamily of acetyltransferases.
authors.affiliation: Section on Neuroendocrinology, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Coon
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Roseboom
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Baler
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Weller
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Namboodiri
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Koonin
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Klein
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012756:Sheep; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase