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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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
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