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Melatonin does not affect the black pigment migration in the crab Neohelice granulata

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Abstract

N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine or melatonin is a multifunctional molecule. The main physiological function, at least in vertebrates, is to transduce to the animal the photoperiodic information and regulate rhythmic parameters. But studies have also observed the action of this molecule on pigment migration in ectothermic vertebrates. Thus the aim of this paper was to investigate in vivo and in vitro the influence of melatonin on the pigment migration in melanophores of the crab Neohelice granulate. Injections of melatonin (2 × 10−9 moles · crab−1) at 07:00 h or 19:00 h did not affect (p > 0.05) the circadian pigment migration of the melanophores in constant darkness. Additionally no significant pigment migration (p > 0.05) was verified in normal and eyestalkless crabs injected with melatonin (10−10–10−7 moles · crab−1) during the day or night. In the in vitro assay, the response of melanophores to the pigment-dispersing hormone in eyestalkless crabs injected with melatonin (2 × 10−9 moles · crab−1) 1 and 12 hours before the observations did not differ (p > 0.05) from the control group (injected with physiological solution). These results suggest that melatonin does not act as a signaling factor for pigment dispersion or aggregation in the melanophores of N. Granulate.

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Abbreviations

CCAP:

crustacean cardioactive peptide

DRC:

dose response curve

DD:

constant darkness

MCH:

melaninconcentrating hormone

α-MSH:

α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone

β-PDH:

β-pigment dispersion hormone

RPCH:

red-pigment-concentrating hormone

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Fisiológicas, Fisiologia Animal Comparada, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Av. Itália, Km 8, Rio Grande, RS, 96201-900, Brazil

    Fábio E. Maciel, Márcio A. Geihs, Marcelo A. Vargas, Bianca P. Ramos, Bruno P. Cruz, Maria S. L. Machado & Luiz E. M. Nery

  2. Departamento de Fisiologia, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Centro Politécnico, Jardim das Américas, Curitiba, PR, 81540-970, Brazil

    Ana M. C. Filadelfi & Fernando M. Louzada

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  1. Fábio E. Maciel
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  2. Márcio A. Geihs
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  3. Marcelo A. Vargas
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  7. Ana M. C. Filadelfi
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  9. Luiz E. M. Nery
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Correspondence to Fábio E. Maciel.

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Maciel, F.E., Geihs, M.A., Vargas, M.A. et al. Melatonin does not affect the black pigment migration in the crab Neohelice granulata . Biologia 64, 187–191 (2009). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-009-0016-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-009-0016-8

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