ReviewInternational journal of molecular sciences2014
Fundamental issues related to the origin of melatonin and melatonin isomers during evolution: relation to their biological functions.
Review in International journal of molecular sciences, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 76 papers.
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Who cites it
76 citing papers in PubMed.
- From night hormone to green signal: The journey of melatonin.Protoplasma · 2026Review
- Retinal pigment epithelium pathology in age-related macular degeneration: mitigation with melatonin.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Review
- Therapeutic insights and molecular mechanism linking melatonin signaling and membranous nephropathy (Review).Biomedical reports · 2025Review
- Boosting drought resilience: the role of endophytic Bacillus safensis in enhancing melatonin production in chickpea cultivars.BMC plant biology · 2025Article
- Melatonin and the Skin: Current Progress and Perspectives for Human Health.The Journal of investigative dermatology · 2025Review
- Combined Effect of Melatonin and Sulfur on Alleviating Waterlogging Stress in Rapeseed.Plant-environment interactions (Hoboken, N.J.) · 2025Article
- Exploring Oxidative Stress and Metabolic Dysregulation in Lung Tissues of Offspring Rats Exposed to Prenatal Polystyrene Microplastics: Effects of Melatonin Treatment.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Melatonin: dual players mitigating drought-induced stress in tomatoes via modulation of phytohormones and antioxidant signaling cascades.BMC plant biology · 2024Article
- Role of Neurotransmitters (Biomediators) in Plant Responses to Stress.Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Relationship between the GABA Pathway and Signaling of Other Regulatory Molecules.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Evolutionary formation of melatonin and vitamin D in early life forms: insects take centre stage.Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society · 2024Review
- Bioactive Peptides in Dairy Milk: Highlighting the Role of Melatonin.Biomolecules · 2024Review
- Melatonin: The Multifaceted Molecule in Plant Growth and Defense.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- The Vital Role of Melatonin and Its Metabolites in the Neuroprotection and Retardation of Brain Aging.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- The Therapeutic Trip of Melatonin Eye Drops: From the Ocular Surface to the Retina.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Review
- Melatonin and 14-hydroxyed brassinosteroid combined promote kiwifruit seedling growth by improving soil microbial distribution, enzyme activity and nutrients uptake.Frontiers in plant science · 2024Article
- Melatonin and Its Metabolites Can Serve as Agonists on the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor and Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma.International journal of molecular sciences · 2023Article
- Why did glutamate, GABA, and melatonin become intercellular signalling molecules in plants?eLife · 2023Review
- Review
- Genome-wide analysis of transmembrane 9 superfamily genes in wheat (Frontiers in plant science · 2023Article
16 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Melatonin and melatonin isomers exist and/or coexist in living organisms including yeasts, bacteria and plants. The levels of melatonin isomers are significantly higher than that of melatonin in some plants and in several fermented products such as in wine and bread. Currently, there are no reports documenting the presence of melatonin isomers in vertebrates. From an evolutionary point of view, it is unlikely that melatonin isomers do not exist in vertebrates. On the other hand, large quantities of the microbial flora exist in the gut of the vertebrates. These microorganisms frequently exchange materials with the host. Melatonin isomers, which are produced by these organisms inevitably enter the host's system. The origins of melatonin and its isomers can be traced back to photosynthetic bacteria and other primitive unicellular organisms. Since some of these bacteria are believed to be the precursors of mitochondria and chloroplasts these cellular organelles may be the primary sites of melatonin production in animals or in plants, respectively. Phylogenic analysis based on its rate-limiting synthetic enzyme, serotonin N-acetyltransferase (SNAT), indicates its multiple origins during evolution. Therefore, it is likely that melatonin and its isomer are also present in the domain of archaea, which perhaps require these molecules to protect them against hostile environments including extremely high or low temperature. Evidence indicates that the initial and primary function of melatonin and its isomers was to serve as the first-line of defence against oxidative stress and all other functions were acquired during evolution either by the process of adoption or by the extension of its antioxidative capacity.
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