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Iron decreases the nuclear but not the cytosolic content of the neurohormone melatonin in several tissues in chicks
Author(s) -
Pablos Marta I.,
Agapito M. Teresa,
MenéndezPelaez Armando,
AcuñaCastroviejo Darío,
Reiter Russel J.,
Recio José M.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of cellular biochemistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.028
H-Index - 165
eISSN - 1097-4644
pISSN - 0730-2312
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4644(19960301)60:3<317::aid-jcb3>3.0.co;2-z
Subject(s) - melatonin , cytosol , medicine , endocrinology , radioimmunoassay , pineal gland , kidney , biology , chemistry , biochemistry , enzyme
This paper describes the influence of iron on both nuclear and cytosolic melatonin contents in several tissues of chicks. The neurohormone melatonin was estimated by means of radioimmunoassay. Iron, administered as FeCl 3 , decreased the nuclear melatonin level in a variety of tissues, including brain, heart, lung, kidney, and erythrocytes (nucleated cells in chicks) but was not seen in either the liver or gut. All variations related with iron were seen in the nuclear fraction, while only in the pineal gland did the melatonin content of the cytosol change as a result of iron treatment. We also observed a day‐night rhythm in the nuclear melatonin: high nuclear levels of melatonin at night and low levels during the light period. This is the first report of nuclear localization of melatonin in any avian cell. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.