The Singularity of Cetacea Behavior Parallels the Complete Inactivation of Melatonin Gene Modules
Melatonin, the hormone of darkness, is a peculiar molecule found in most living organisms. Emerging as a potent broad-spectrum antioxidant, melatonin was repurposed into extra roles such as the modulation of circadian and seasonal rhythmicity, affecting numerous aspects of physiology and behaviour,...
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ftpubmed:oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:6410235 2023-05-15T15:36:55+02:00 The Singularity of Cetacea Behavior Parallels the Complete Inactivation of Melatonin Gene Modules Lopes-Marques, Mónica Ruivo, Raquel Alves, Luís Q. Sousa, Nelson Machado, André M. Castro, L. Filipe C. 2019-02-06 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6410235/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30736361 https://doi.org/10.3390/genes10020121 en eng MDPI http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6410235/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30736361 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/genes10020121 © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). CC-BY Article Text 2019 ftpubmed https://doi.org/10.3390/genes10020121 2019-03-31T01:12:10Z Melatonin, the hormone of darkness, is a peculiar molecule found in most living organisms. Emerging as a potent broad-spectrum antioxidant, melatonin was repurposed into extra roles such as the modulation of circadian and seasonal rhythmicity, affecting numerous aspects of physiology and behaviour, including sleep entrainment and locomotor activity. Interestingly, the pineal gland—the melatonin synthesising organ in vertebrates—was suggested to be absent or rudimentary in some mammalian lineages, including Cetacea. In Cetacea, pineal regression is paralleled by their unique bio-rhythmicity, as illustrated by the unihemispheric sleeping behaviour and long-term vigilance. Here, we examined the genes responsible for melatonin synthesis (Aanat and Asmt) and signalling (Mtnr1a and Mtnr1b) in 12 toothed and baleen whale genomes. Based on an ample genomic comparison, we deduce that melatonin-related gene modules are eroded in Cetacea. Text baleen whale PubMed Central (PMC) Genes 10 2 121 |
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Article Lopes-Marques, Mónica Ruivo, Raquel Alves, Luís Q. Sousa, Nelson Machado, André M. Castro, L. Filipe C. The Singularity of Cetacea Behavior Parallels the Complete Inactivation of Melatonin Gene Modules |
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Melatonin, the hormone of darkness, is a peculiar molecule found in most living organisms. Emerging as a potent broad-spectrum antioxidant, melatonin was repurposed into extra roles such as the modulation of circadian and seasonal rhythmicity, affecting numerous aspects of physiology and behaviour, including sleep entrainment and locomotor activity. Interestingly, the pineal gland—the melatonin synthesising organ in vertebrates—was suggested to be absent or rudimentary in some mammalian lineages, including Cetacea. In Cetacea, pineal regression is paralleled by their unique bio-rhythmicity, as illustrated by the unihemispheric sleeping behaviour and long-term vigilance. Here, we examined the genes responsible for melatonin synthesis (Aanat and Asmt) and signalling (Mtnr1a and Mtnr1b) in 12 toothed and baleen whale genomes. Based on an ample genomic comparison, we deduce that melatonin-related gene modules are eroded in Cetacea. |
format |
Text |
author |
Lopes-Marques, Mónica Ruivo, Raquel Alves, Luís Q. Sousa, Nelson Machado, André M. Castro, L. Filipe C. |
author_facet |
Lopes-Marques, Mónica Ruivo, Raquel Alves, Luís Q. Sousa, Nelson Machado, André M. Castro, L. Filipe C. |
author_sort |
Lopes-Marques, Mónica |
title |
The Singularity of Cetacea Behavior Parallels the Complete Inactivation of Melatonin Gene Modules |
title_short |
The Singularity of Cetacea Behavior Parallels the Complete Inactivation of Melatonin Gene Modules |
title_full |
The Singularity of Cetacea Behavior Parallels the Complete Inactivation of Melatonin Gene Modules |
title_fullStr |
The Singularity of Cetacea Behavior Parallels the Complete Inactivation of Melatonin Gene Modules |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Singularity of Cetacea Behavior Parallels the Complete Inactivation of Melatonin Gene Modules |
title_sort |
singularity of cetacea behavior parallels the complete inactivation of melatonin gene modules |
publisher |
MDPI |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6410235/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30736361 https://doi.org/10.3390/genes10020121 |
genre |
baleen whale |
genre_facet |
baleen whale |
op_relation |
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6410235/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30736361 http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/genes10020121 |
op_rights |
© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
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CC-BY |
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https://doi.org/10.3390/genes10020121 |
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Genes |
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121 |
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