Melatonin promotes sleep-like state in zebrafish
Abstract
The sleep-promoting effect of the pineal hormone melatonin in humans is known for decades. However, the mechanisms of this phenomenon remain obscure, mainly due to lack of a simple, genetically tractable, animal model. We now report that melatonin promotes sleep-like state in a diurnal lower vertebrate, zebrafish (Danio rerio), and this effect is mediated through activation of specific melatonin membrane receptors. Furthermore, our data show that the sleep-like state in zebrafish has fundamental similarities with sleep in mammals, including characteristic postures, elevated arousal threshold to sensory stimulation and a compensatory rest rebound following rest deprivation, and can be induced by conventional hypnotics, diazepam and sodium pentobarbital. Collectively, these data indicate that melatonin is evolutionary conserved sleep-promoting agent in diurnal species and suggest that zebrafish provide an efficient animal model for studying the molecular mechanisms of sleep regulation and for screening new types of hypnotic medications.
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Sleep has been identified in every animal that has been carefully studied.
“Sleep has been recognized in each animal carefully scrutinized.”
From The Biology of General Anesthesia from Paramecium to Primate (2019) · cites this paper as [23]
Behaviorally quiescent or sleep-like states may be as globally widespread as susceptibility to volatile anesthetics.
“behaviorally quiescent or sleep-like states may be as globally penetrant as susceptibility to volatile anesthetics [22–29].”
From The Biology of General Anesthesia from Paramecium to Primate (2019) · cites this paper as [23]
Melatonin promotes sleep in diurnal vertebrates, including zebrafish and humans, and induces quiescence in invertebrates.
“One such conserved molecule, melatonin [32], promotes sleep in diurnal vertebrates, including zebrafish [33] and humans [34], and induces quiescence in invertebrates [35].”
From The Jellyfish Cassiopea Exhibits a Sleep-like State (2017) · cites this paper as [33]
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- Authors
- Zhdanova, I. V., Wang, S. Y., Leclair, O. U., & Danilova, N. P.
- Affiliations
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
- Corresponding author
- Zhdanova, Irina V
- ORCID
- Zhdanova, Irina V
- Venue
- Brain Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2001-06
- Volume
- 903
- Issue
- 1-2
- Pages
- 263-268
- ISSN
- 0006-8993 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2046584597
- Cited by
- 418
- References
- 22
- Citations by year
- 2026: 21 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 25 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 23 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 26 · 2019: 29 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 2.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Brain Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Zebrafish Biomedical Research Applications
- Keywords
- melatonin, sleep-like state, zebrafish, melatonin receptors, sleep regulation, hypnotics, diazepam, pentobarbital, arousal threshold, sleep rebound
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Anticonvulsants, Diazepam, Hypnotics and Sedatives, Melatonin, Motor Activity, Pentobarbital, Sleep, Species Specificity, Zebrafish
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