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. 1980 May;77(5):2415–2418. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.5.2415

Pteridines as nonretinal regulators of light-dependent melatonin biosynthesis.

G Cremer-Bartels, I Ebels
PMCID: PMC349409  PMID: 6930641

Abstract

6-Formylpterin was purified by paper chromatography, and bovine pineal hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (S-adenosyl-L-methionine:N-acetylserotonin O-methyl-transferase; EC 2.1.1.4) was purified by flat-bed gel electrofocusing. Fractions of the methyltransferase with isoelectric points at pH 5.0, 5.7, and 5.2 were tested in the presence of 6-formylpterin, and decreased activities were found. Because 6-formylpterin is one of the photolytic products of folic acid and decreased serum folic acid has been reported in light-exposed men, we suggest that pteridines may be involved in nonretinal effects of light on pineal melatonin biosynthesis. It may be that this metabolic pathway is an evolutionary relic of primitive light responses of pigmentation mechanism.

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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