ArticleFrontiers in endocrinology2011
Molecular basis for defining the pineal gland and pinealocytes as targets for tumor necrosis factor.
Article in Frontiers in endocrinology, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers.
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 67 citations in OpenAlex.
- Partners in health and disease: pineal gland and purinergic signalling.Purinergic signalling · 2025Review
- Possible Role of Pineal and Extra-Pineal Melatonin in Surveillance, Immunity, and First-Line Defense.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021Review
- Melatonin and Depression: A Translational Perspective From Animal Models to Clinical Studies.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2021Review
- Melatonin andFrontiers in cellular and infection microbiology · 2019Article
- Differential response of pineal microglia to surgical versus pharmacological stimuli.The Journal of comparative neurology · 2018Article
- Immune-pineal axis - acute inflammatory responses coordinate melatonin synthesis by pinealocytes and phagocytes.British journal of pharmacology · 2018Review
- Article
- Daily corticosterone rhythm modulates pineal function through NFκB-related gene transcriptional program.Scientific reports · 2017Article
- Melatonin: A Mitochondrial Targeting Molecule Involving Mitochondrial Protection and Dynamics.International journal of molecular sciences · 2016Review
- Cellular Basis of Pineal Gland Development: Emerging Role of Microglia as Phenotype Regulator.PloS one · 2016Article
- Melatoninergic System in Parkinson's Disease: From Neuroprotection to the Management of Motor and Nonmotor Symptoms.Oxidative medicine and cellular longevity · 2016Review
- Selective protection of the cerebellum against intracerebroventricular LPS is mediated by local melatonin synthesis.Brain structure & function · 2015Article
- Crosstalk between the circadian clock circuitry and the immune system.Chronobiology international · 2013Review
- Immune-pineal axis: nuclear factor κB (NF-kB) mediates the shift in the melatonin source from pinealocytes to immune competent cells.International journal of molecular sciences · 2013Review
- Time-dependent effects of localized inflammation on peripheral clock gene expression in rats.PloS one · 2013Article
- Modulation of pineal melatonin synthesis by glutamate involves paracrine interactions between pinealocytes and astrocytes through NF-κB activation.BioMed research international · 2013Article
- Glia-pinealocyte network: the paracrine modulation of melatonin synthesis by tumor necrosis factor (TNF).PloS one · 2012Article
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- Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The pineal gland, the gland that translates darkness into an endocrine signal by releasing melatonin at night, is now considered a key player in the mounting of an innate immune response. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), the first pro-inflammatory cytokine to be released by an inflammatory response, suppresses the translation of the key enzyme of melatonin synthesis (arylalkylamine-N-acetyltransferase, Aanat). Here, we show that TNF receptors of the subtype 1 (TNF-R1) are expressed by astrocytes, microglia, and pinealocytes. We also show that the TNF signaling reduces the level of inhibitory nuclear factor kappa B protein subtype A (NFKBIA), leading to the nuclear translocation of two NFKB dimers, p50/p50, and p50/RelA. The lack of a transactivating domain in the p50/p50 dimer suggests that this dimer is responsible for the repression of Aanat transcription. Meanwhile, p50/RelA promotes the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and the production of nitric oxide, which inhibits adrenergically induced melatonin production. Together, these data provide a mechanistic basis for considering pinealocytes a target of TNF and reinforce the idea that the suppression of pineal melatonin is one of the mechanisms involved in mounting an innate immune response.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.