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Please explain the metabolic relationship between Serotonin and Melatonin?

7ca5p

7ca5p

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May 22, 2009
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In our college, we have a metabolic pathways poster outside our biology room, and it shows "Serotonin ---> Melatonin", the dotted line representing 'breaks down into' according to the key. Yet I was under the impression that Serotinin stimulated Melatonin production from a receptor site in the brain stem? (Can't remember the exact details of this, would be helpful if someone could clarify this aswell) I was also under the impression that the breakdown of Serotonin lead not to melatonin, but rather, to neurotoxic chemicals, hence the neurorprotective properties of MAOIs. Some clarification on this would be great.

Thanks.
 
Serotonin is metabolized first by acetyltransferases to N-acetylserotonin, and is O-methylated further to melatonin.

The "breakdown" proper of serotonin by MAOI (to hydroxyindoleacetic acid) does produce oxidative stress and things like peroxide radicals. Maybe that is what you're thinking of.
 
Melatonin is a tryptamine much like serotonin, but I'm pretty sure it's produced by methyltransferase enzymes in the pineal gland, not the brain stem. The release of the melatonin is triggered by photosensors perceiving a darkening of the environment

And also I've heard that serotonin metabolizes are suspected for the neurotoxicity of MDMA, but I wasn't aware of MAOI's being shown to have a neuroprotective effect. In everyday neurotransmitting I highly doubt regular serotonin levels produce any type of neurotoxicity, otherwise we'd all quickly deteriorate.

Are you sure the poster in your lab isn't talking about the enzymatic pathways? In other words are you sure it isn't saying melatonin is *made from* serotonin, instead of degrading to melatonin.

Here's a simple website outlining the relationship between the pineal gland and melatonin, and it states that serotonin is a precursor to melatonin. http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pathphys/endocrine/otherendo/pineal.html
 
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