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Melatonin Receptors in the Central Nervous System

  • Chapter
Kynurenine and Serotonin Pathways

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 294))

Abstract

The hormone melatonin is synthesized primarily in the pineal gland of vertebrates from its precursor serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine). Serotonin is N-acetylated by a relatively specific N-acetyltransferase to yield N-acetylserotonin, which in turn is methylated by hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase to melatonin (5-methoxy-N-acetyltryptamine) (Axelrod, 1974).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois, 60611, USA

    M. L. Dubocovich

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  1. M. L. Dubocovich
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

    Robert Schwarcz

  2. McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Simon N. Young

  3. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA

    Raymond R. Brown

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© 1991 Plenum Press, New York

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Dubocovich, M.L. (1991). Melatonin Receptors in the Central Nervous System. In: Schwarcz, R., Young, S.N., Brown, R.R. (eds) Kynurenine and Serotonin Pathways. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 294. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5952-4_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5952-4_23

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-5954-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-5952-4

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