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Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1972 Aug;69(8):2003–2005. doi: 10.1073/pnas.69.8.2003

Control of the Rat Pineal Gland by Light Spectra

Daniel P Cardinali 1, Frances Larin 1, Richard J Wurtman 1
PMCID: PMC426855  PMID: 4506068

Abstract

Control of pineal hydroxyindole-O-methyl transferase (S-adenosylmethionine:N-acetylserotonin-O-methyl transferase; EC 2.1.1.4) by light spectra was determined by placing groups of rats previously housed in continuous darkness under one of seven light sources for 96 hr; rats were exposed to the same intensity of irradiation. Activity of the enzyme was lowest in rats maintained under green light (λ peak = 530 nm); blue and yellow light were somewhat less effective; red and ultraviolet light did not significantly lower the enzyme activity. The suppression of pineal hydroxyindole-O-methyl transferase by full-spectrum light sources could be correlated with the proportions of their spectral outputs in the blue-green-yellow range. These observations suggest that the retinal photopigment that mediates pineal responses to light in rats is rhodopsin or another compound with similar absorption properties.

Keywords: melatonin, hydroxyindole-O-methyl transferase

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2004

Selected References

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

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