Abstract
Taurine is highly concentrated in the pineal gland, where it occurs at 20–60 mM (Crabai et al., 1974; Green et al., 1962; Guidotti et al., 1972; La Bella et al., 1968; Vellan et al., 1970). This is higher than the concentration of taurine in any other body tissue, except the neurohypohysis. It is also relatively abundant compared to other amino acids in the pineal gland, comprising 30% of the free amino acids of the adult gland (Nir et al., 1974). In view of these observations, it is surprising that little is known about the role of taurine in this tissue.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Agrawal, H. C.; Davison, A. N.; and Kaczmarek, L. K. Subcellular distribution of taurine and cysteinsulphinate decarboxylase in developing rat brain. Biochem. J., 122, 759–763 (1971).
Axelrod, J.; Wurtman, R.; and Kelly, D. E. In The Pineal Gland, Wurtman, R. J.; Axelrod, J.; and Kelly, D. E., eds. Academic Press, New York (1968), p. 8.
Axelrod, J.; and Zatz, M. The β-adrenergic receptor and the regulation of circadian rhythms in the pineal gland. In Biochemical Actions of Hormones, Littwack, G., ed. Academic Press, New York (1977), pp. 249–268.
Baskin, S. I.; and Dagirmajian, R. The effect of taurine on the pigmentation of the bullfrog tadpole. Comp. Biochem. Physiol., 44A, 297–302 (1973).
Bradford, H. F.; Davison, A. N.; and Wheler, G. H. T. Taurine and synaptic transmission. In Taurine, Huxtable, R.; and Barbeau, A., eds. Raven Press, New York (1976), pp. 303–310.
Crabai, H.; Sitzer, A.; and Pepeu, G. Taurine concentrations in the neurohypophysis of different species. J. Neurochem., 1091–1092 (1974).
Davison, A. N.; and Kaczmarek, L. K. Taurine—A possible neurotransmitter. Nature,234, 107–108 (1971).
De Belleroche, J. S.; and Bradford, H. F. Amino acids in synaptic vesicles from mammalian cerebral cortex: A reappraisal. J. Neurochem., 21, 441–451 (1973).
Green, J. P.; Day, M.; and Robinson, J. D. Some acidic substances in neoplastic mast cells and in the pineal body. Eiochem. Pharmac., 11, 957–960 (1962).
Greengard, P. Possible role for cyclic nucleotides and phosphorylated membrane proteins in postsynaptic actions of neurotransmitters. Nature, 260, 101–108 (1976).
Grosso, D. A.; Bressler, R.; and Benson, B. Circadian rhythm and uptake of taurine by the rat pineal gland. Life Sci., 22, 1789–1798 (1978).
Guidoti, A.; Badiani, G.; and Pepeu, G. Taurine distribution in the cat brain. J. Neurochem., 19, 431–435 (1972).
Klein, D. C. Circadian rhythms in indole metabolism in the rat pineal gland. In The Neurosciences, Third Study Program, Schmidt, F. O., ed MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass. (1974), pp. 509–511.
Klein, D. C. The pineal gland: A model of neuroendocrine regulation. In The Hypothalamus, Reichlin, S.; Baldessarini, R. J.; and Martin, J. B., eds Raven Press, New York (1978), pp. 303–327.
Klein, D. C.; and Berg, G. R. Pineal gland: Stimulation of melatonin production by norepinephrine involves cyclic AMP-mediated stimulation of N-acetyltransferase. In Role of Cyclic AMP in Cell Function, Greengard, P.; and Costa, E., eds. Advances in Biochemical Psycho-pharmacology, Vol. 3. Raven Press, New York (1970), pp. 241–263.
Kocsis J. J.; Wheler G. H. T.; and Klein, D. C. Unpublished observations (1979).
Krusz, J. C.; Dix, R. K., and Baskin, S. I. Factors that affect the uptake and endogenous content of taurine in the pineal gland. Fed. Proc.,37, 907 (1977).
La Bella, F.; Vivian, S.; and Queen, G. Abundance of cystathionine in the pineal body: Free amino acids and related compounds of bovine pineal, anterior and posterior pituitary and brain. Biochem. Biophys. Acta., 158, 286–288 (1968).
Leonard, B. E.; Neuhoff, V.; and Tongue, S. R. The effect of chronic administration of D-amphetamine upon circadian changes in amino acids in the pineal gland and pituitary glands of the rat. J. Neurosci. Res., 1, 83–92 (1977).
Mandel, P.; and Pasantes-Morales, H. Taurine in the nervous system. In Reviews of Neuroscience, Ehrepreis, S.; and Kopin, I., eds Raven Press, New York (1978), pp. 157–193.
Muramatsu, M.; Kakita, K.; Nakagawa, K.; and Kuriyama, K. A modulating role of taurine on release of acetylcholine and norepinephrine from neural tissues. Japan J. Pharmacol., 28, 259–268 (1978).
Nir, I.; Briel, G.; Dames, W.; and Neuhoff, V. Pineal proteins and free amino acids during ontogenesis in rats. Neuroendocrinol., 14, 34 (1974).
Parfitt, A.; Weiler, J. L.; Klein, D. C.; Sakai, K. K.; and Marks, B. H. Blockade by ouabain or elevated potassium concentration of the adrenergic and cAMP-induced stimulation of pineal serotonin N-acetyltransferase activity. Molec. Pharmacol., 11, 241–255 (1975).
Phillis, J. W. An involvement of calcium and Na, K-ATPase in the inhibitory actions of various compounds on central neurons. In Taurine,Huxtable, R.; and Barbeau, A., eds. Raven Press, New York (1976), pp. 209–223.
Sakai, K. K.; and Marks, B. H. Adrenergic effects on pineal cell membrane potential. Life Sci., 11, 285–291 (1972).
Vellan, E. J.; Gjessing, L. R.; and Stalsberg, Free amino acids in the pineal and pituitary glands of human brain. J. Neurochem., 17, 699–701 (1970).
Wheler, G. H. T.; and Klein, D. C. Taurine release from the pineal gland is stimulated via a ß-adrenergic mechanism. Brain Res., 187, 155–164 (1980).
Wheler, G. H. T.; and Klein, D. C. Cyclic AMP-induced release of [14C]taurine from pinealocytes. Biochim. Biophys. Res. Comm., 90, 22–27 (1979b).
Wheler, G. H. T.; Weller, J. L.; and Klein, D. C. Taurine: Stimulation of N-acetyltransferase activity and melatonin production via a beta-adrenergic mechanism. Brain Res., 166, 65–74 (1979a).
Wheler, G. H. T.; Bradford, H. F.; Davison, A. N.; and Thompson, E. J. Uptake and release of taurine from cerebral cortex slices and their subcellular compartments. J. Neurochem., 33, 331–337 (1979).
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1981 Spectrum Publications, Inc.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wheler, G.H.T., Klein, D.C. (1981). Function and Regulation of Taurine in the Pineal Gland. In: Schaffer, S.W., Baskin, S.I., Kocsis, J.J. (eds) The Effects of Taurine on Excitable Tissues. Monographs of the Physiological Society of Philadelphia, vol 7. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8093-8_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-8093-8_10
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-009-8095-2
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-8093-8
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive