Morgan P J, Hazlerigg D G
Rowett Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, UK.
J Neuroendocrinol. 2008 Jun;20(6):820-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2826.2008.01724.x.
Photoperiod exerts profound influence on the physiology of mammals through the action of melatonin on the neuroendocrine system. Over the last 20 years, studies have moved away from a melatonin receptor-focused approach to understanding how photoperiod regulates neuroendocrine activity through studies of downstream effects on gene expression. This paper reviews the recent progress made in our understanding of the effects of photoperiod on gene expression in the hypothalamus, and considers how this new information can be reconciled with the species-specific location of melatonin receptors.
光周期通过褪黑素对神经内分泌系统的作用，对哺乳动物的生理机能产生深远影响。在过去20年里，研究已从专注于褪黑素受体的方法，转向通过研究对基因表达的下游效应来理解光周期如何调节神经内分泌活动。本文综述了我们在理解光周期对下丘脑基因表达影响方面取得的最新进展，并探讨了这些新信息如何与褪黑素受体的物种特异性定位相协调。
