title: Diurnal fluctuation in the enzyme activity and the messenger RNA level of pineal serotonin N-acetyltransferase in normal and hereditary microphthalmic rats.
abstract: The enzyme activity and the messenger RNA level of pineal serotonin N-acetyltransferase were more than 20- and 50-fold higher, respectively, in the dark period than in the light period in normal rats. In hereditary microphthalmic rats, however, the serotonin N-acetyltransferase activity and its mRNA level did not undergo a great diurnal change through the light and dark periods. These results indicate that the diurnal rhythms of the activity and the mRNA level of serotonin N-acetyltransferase are not detected in the pineal gland of hereditary blind rats, suggesting free-running rhythms in individual animals due to desynchronization of their circadian rhythms by a lack of their optic nerve.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Applied Biological Chemistry and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Utsunomiya University, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D008027:Light; D008850:Microphthalmos / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000201:enzymology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D001191:Arylamine N-Acetyltransferase