Artículos de revistas
Melatonin Production in the Sea Star Echinaster brasiliensis (Echinodermata)
Fecha
2014-04Registro en:
Biological Bulletin, v.226, p.146-151, 2014
0006-3185
Autor
Peres, Rafael
Amaral, Fernanda Gaspar do
Marques, Antonio Carlos
Neto, Jose Cipolla
Institución
Resumen
The primary hormone of the vertebrate pineal gland, melatonin, has been identified broadly throughout the tree of life, in animals, plants, and fungi, supporting a deep evolutionary origin for this signaling molecule. However, some key groups have not been studied. Echinoderms, deuterostome animals, are one of these groups. Herein we study the presence of melatonin and enzymes of its pathway in the sea star Echinaster brasiliensis. We demonstrate that E. brasiliensis produces endogenous melatonin, in the gonads, under a circadian pattern with a nocturnal peak of production. We also show that the enzymes arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AANAT) and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) are present and are probably regulating the melatonin production.