University of Manchester, Faculty of Life Sciences, Manchester, UK.
Neuroendocrinology. 2011;94(2):101-12. doi: 10.1159/000328971. Epub 2011 Jul 22.
In mammals, the nocturnal melatonin signal is well established as a key hormonal indicator of seasonal changes in day-length, providing the brain with an internal representation of the external photoperiod. The pars tuberalis (PT) of the pituitary gland is the major site of expression of the G-coupled receptor MT1 in the brain and is considered as the main site of integration of the photoperiodic melatonin signal. Recent studies have revealed how the photoperiodic melatonin signal is encoded and conveyed by the PT to the brain and the pituitary, but much remains to be resolved. The development of new animal models and techniques such as cDNA arrays or high throughput sequencing has recently shed the light onto the regulatory networks that might be involved. This review considers the current understanding of the mechanisms driving photoperiodism in the mammalian PT with a particular focus on the seasonal prolactin secretion.
在哺乳动物中，夜间褪黑素信号被很好地确立为季节变化的关键激素指标，它为大脑提供了外部光周期的内部表示。垂体的垂体柄（PT）是大脑中 G 蛋白偶联受体 MT1 的主要表达部位，被认为是光周期褪黑素信号整合的主要部位。最近的研究揭示了光周期褪黑素信号如何被 PT 编码并传递到大脑和垂体，但仍有许多问题需要解决。新的动物模型和技术的发展，如 cDNA 阵列或高通量测序，最近揭示了可能涉及的调控网络。本综述考虑了目前对驱动哺乳动物 PT 中光周期的机制的理解，特别关注季节性催乳素分泌。
