This is an auto-generated stub page built from atlas entry frontmatter. A richer
hand-crafted page is planned. See the
atlas source
for the full entry including detailed body sections.
melatonin
Melatonin
N-acetyl-5-methoxytryptamine synthesized from serotonin in the pineal gland; the primary circadian timing hormone. Darkness → NE → AANAT activation → melatonin peak (2-4 AM); suppressed by blue light. MT1 facilitates sleep onset; MT2 phase-shifts the SCN clock.
Entry Metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| ID | melatonin |
| Name | Melatonin |
| Status | draft |
| Last reviewed | 2026-06-08 |
| Atlas | 01-human |
| Scale | 03-molecular |
Cross-Atlas Connections
Sources
- Lerner AB, Case JD, Takahashi Y, Lee TH, Mori W. Isolation of melatonin, the pineal gland factor that lightens melanocytes. J Am Chem Soc. 1958;80(10):2587.
- Lewy AJ, Wehr TA, Goodwin FK, Newsome DA, Markey SP. Light suppresses melatonin secretion in humans. Science. 1980;210(4475):1267-1269. · PubMed 7434030
- Zisapel N. New perspectives on the role of melatonin in human sleep, circadian rhythms and their regulation. Br J Pharmacol. 2018;175(16):3190-3199. · PubMed 29318587