Biochemical and biophysical research communications

Levels of the enzyme that makes melatonin in the brain’s daily rhythm control center of rats

Circadian Biology Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated

Abstract

AA-NAT enzyme activity in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus is highest at early night and lowest at midday.

  • The serotonin N-acetyltransferase (AA-NAT) mRNA was found in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus, which regulates biological rhythms.
  • AA-NAT mRNA levels did not exhibit a significant circadian rhythm.
  • Enzyme activity for AA-NAT showed a clear daily rhythm, peaking at night and dropping during midday.
  • The observed rhythm in AA-NAT enzyme activity persisted even in constant dark conditions.
  • These findings suggest that melatonin synthesis in the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus may be regulated by the circadian clock at a post-transcriptional level.

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