Elsevier

Neuroscience Letters

Volume 248, Issue 3, 5 June 1998, Pages 163-166
Neuroscience Letters

Ontogeny of a diurnal rhythm in arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase mRNA in rat pineal gland

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3940(98)00356-5Get rights and content

Abstract

Melatonin synthesis in the pineal gland of adult rats is linked to cAMP-dependent transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulatory mechanisms affecting its rate-limiting enzyme, the arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase (AA-NAT). During development of the pineal gland, neuronal control gains access to the earlier matured cAMP-signaling pathway to shape the day–night rhythm in AA-NAT enzymatic activity. By semiquantitative in situ hybridization we analyzed if the developmental onset of a rhythmic AA-NAT activity is correlated to a temporally parallel onset in AA-NAT transcription. We found that AA-NAT mRNA levels in rat pineal gland become rhythmic at postnatal day 5. Thus, AA-NAT gene transcription in rat pineal gland starts to show day–night differences shortly prior to the appearance of a rhythmic AA-NAT activity.

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Acknowledgements

The study was supported by grants to J.H.S. from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, the Paul und Cilli Weill-Stiftung and the August Scheidel-Stiftung. The authors thank H.-W. Korf for helpful discussion and support.

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