title: Circadian regulation of melatonin production in cultured zebrafish pineal and retina.
abstract: Melatonin release was measured from zebrafish pineal organs and retinas maintained in flow-through culture. Pineal organs released melatonin in a strong circadian rhythm through 5 days in constant darkness, and the phase of this rhythm was reset by in vitro exposure to phase-shifted light cycles. In contrast, the retinal melatonin rhythm rapidly damped out in constant darkness, even in the presence of (phase-shifted) light cycles. The zebrafish pineal should be useful for in vitro studies of vertebrate circadian clock mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Houston, TX 77204-5513, USA.
authors.forename: G M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Cahill
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D003624:Darkness; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007700:Kinetics; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000502:physiology*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D013995:Time; D015027:Zebrafish
chemical_list: D008550:Melatonin