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The Role of the Melatoninergic System in Light-Entrained Behavior of Mice

Martina Pfeffer1,2, Horst-Werner Korf3,4, Helmut Wicht5

  • 1Dr. Senckenbergische Anatomie II, Fachbereich Medizin, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, D-60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. M.Pfeffer@em.uni-frankfurt.de.

International Journal of Molecular Sciences
|March 4, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Endogenous melatonin stabilizes circadian rhythms under entrainment but does not influence chronotype. Melatonin deficiency or receptor absence in mice reduced locomotor rhythm accuracy, showing the system

Area of Science:

  • Chronobiology
  • Neuroendocrinology
  • Behavioral Genetics

Background:

  • The precise role of endogenous melatonin in regulating circadian rhythms and chronotype remains unclear.
  • Mice lacking melatonin or its receptors show no overt behavioral deficits in circadian or diurnal rhythms.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the function of the endogenous melatoninergic system in controlling circadian and diurnal rhythms.
  • To determine the effect of melatonin deficiency and receptor absence on locomotor behavior periodicity and chronotype.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of locomotor behavior in melatonin-deficient mice (C57Bl) and mice lacking melatonin receptors MT1 and MT2 (C3H MT1,2 KO).
  • Comparison of rhythm accuracy and chronotype between mutant mice and wild-type controls under entrained conditions.

Main Results:

  • Melatonin-deficient mice and mice lacking melatonin receptors exhibited significantly reduced accuracy in reproducing diurnal locomotor rhythms.
  • The chronotype of the mutant mice remained unaltered compared to controls.

Conclusions:

  • The endogenous melatoninergic system plays a crucial role in stabilizing internal rhythms during steady entrainment.
  • Melatonin signaling does not appear to influence the determination of chronotype.
Keywords:
chronotypecircadiandiurnallocomotor rhythmmelatoninstability

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