This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Torres-Farfan, C. Articles by Seron-Ferre, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Torres-Farfan, C. Articles by Seron-Ferre, M.

Maternal Melatonin Effects on Clock Gene Expression in a Nonhuman Primate Fetus

Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas (C.T.F., V.R., C.M., F.J.V., F.T., M.S.-F.), Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Departamento de Endocrinología (C.C.), Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114D, Santiago, Chile; Unidad de Medicina Materno-Fetal (A.G.), Centro Especializado de Vigilancia Materno Fetal, Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Clinica Las Condes, Santiago, Chile; and Department of Women’s Health Arrowhead Regional Medical Center (G.J.V.), Colton, California 92324

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: María Serón-Ferré, Departamento de Ciencias Fisiológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla (P.O. Box) 114D, Santiago, Chile. E-mail: mseron{at}puc.cl.

In the adult mammal the circadian system, which allows predictive adaptation to daily environmental changes, comprises peripheral oscillators in most tissues, commanded by the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. The external environment of the fetus is provided by its mother. In primates, maternal melatonin is a candidate to entrain fetal circadian rhythms, including the SCN rhythms of metabolic activity. We found in the 90% of gestation capuchin monkey fetus expression of the clock genes Bmal-1, Per-2, Cry-2, and Clock in the SCN, adrenal, pituitary, brown fat, and pineal. Bmal-1, Per-2, and the melatonin 1 receptor (MT1) showed a robust oscillatory expression in SCN and adrenal gland, whereas a circadian rhythm of dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate was found in plasma. Maternal melatonin suppression changed the expression of Bmal-1, Per-2, and MT1 in the fetal SCN. These effects were reversed by maternal melatonin replacement. In contrast, neither maternal melatonin suppression nor its replacement had effects on the expression of Per-2 and Bmal-1 or MT1 in the fetal adrenal gland or the circadian rhythm of fetal plasma dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate. Our data suggest that maternal melatonin is a Zeitgeber for the fetal SCN but probably not for the adrenal gland.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. Jung-Hynes and N. Ahmad SIRT1 controls circadian clock circuitry and promotes cell survival: a connection with age-related neoplasms FASEB J, September 1, 2009; 23(9): 2803 - 2809. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Torres-Farfan, L. Abarzua-Catalan, F. J. Valenzuela, N. Mendez, H. G. Richter, G. J. Valenzuela, and M. Seron-Ferre Cryptochrome 2 Expression Level Is Critical for Adrenocorticotropin Stimulation of Cortisol Production in the Capuchin Monkey Adrenal Endocrinology, June 1, 2009; 150(6): 2717 - 2722. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Torres-Farfan, F. J. Valenzuela, M. Mondaca, G. J. Valenzuela, B. Krause, E. A. Herrera, R. Riquelme, A. J. Llanos, and M. Seron-Ferre Evidence of a role for melatonin in fetal sheep physiology: direct actions of melatonin on fetal cerebral artery, brown adipose tissue and adrenal gland J. Physiol., August 15, 2008; 586(16): 4017 - 4027. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. W. Wilkinson Circadian Clocks: Showtime for the Adrenal Cortex Endocrinology, April 1, 2008; 149(4): 1451 - 1453. [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. J. Valenzuela, C. Torres-Farfan, H. G. Richter, N. Mendez, C. Campino, F. Torrealba, G. J. Valenzuela, and M. Seron-Ferre Clock Gene Expression in Adult Primate Suprachiasmatic Nuclei and Adrenal: Is the Adrenal a Peripheral Clock Responsive to Melatonin? Endocrinology, April 1, 2008; 149(4): 1454 - 1461. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				H. G. Richter, C. Torres-Farfan, J. Garcia-Sesnich, L. Abarzua-Catalan, M. G. Henriquez, M. Alvarez-Felmer, F. Gaete, G. E. Rehren, and M. Seron-Ferre Rhythmic Expression of Functional MT1 Melatonin Receptors in the Rat Adrenal Gland Endocrinology, March 1, 2008; 149(3): 995 - 1003. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]