Abstract
Microvesicles in endocrine cells are the morphological and functional equivalent of neuronal synaptic vesicles. Microvesicles accumulate various neurotransmitters through a transmitter-specific vesicular transporter energized by vacuolar H+-ATPase. We found that mammalian pinealocytes, endocrine cells that synthesize and secrete melatonin, accumulate L-glutamate in their microvesicles and secrete it through exocytosis. Pinealocytes use L-glutamate as either a paracrine- or autocrine-like chemical transmitter in a receptor-mediated manner, resulting in inhibition of melatonin synthesis. In this article, we briefly describe the overall features of the microvesicle-mediated signal-transduction mechanism in the pineal gland and discuss the important role of acidic organelles in a novel regulatory mechanism for hormonal synthesis and secretion.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 117-125 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Journal of Experimental Biology |
Volume | 203 |
Issue number | 1 |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2000 |
Keywords
- Autocrine
- Endocrine cell
- L-glutamate
- Melatonin
- Microvesicle
- Paracrine
- Pin ealocyte
- Serotonin
- V-ATPase
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Physiology
- Aquatic Science
- Animal Science and Zoology
- Molecular Biology
- Insect Science