Melatonin in the nemertine worm Lineus lacteus: identification and daily variations.
Melatonin, a well-known pineal substance implicated in conveying photoperiodic information in vertebrates, appears to be present as well in the eyes and brain of the nemertine worm: Lineus lacteus. The nyctohemeral rhythm was studied, too. The identification of melatonin in this new invertebrate species corroborates our hypothesis that it may be an evolutionarily conserved molecule, principally involved in the temporal transduction of photoperiodic information in all living organisms.
Arnoult
F
F
Laboratoire de Zoologie et des Sciences de l'Environment, Faculté des Sciences, Reims, France.
Vivien-Roels
B
B
Pévet
P
P
Vernet
G
G
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005123:Eye / Q000737:chemistry; D007448:Invertebrates / Q000502:physiology*; D008550:Melatonin / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D017440:Photoperiod
D008550:Melatonin