Cited by 402Circadian rhythm and melatoninMitochondrial Function and Pathologymelanin and skin pigmentation

Melatonin: A Mitochondrial Targeting Molecule Involving Mitochondrial Protection and Dynamics

Open access
Tan, Dun-Xian, Manchester, Lucien, Qin, Lilan, Reiter, Russel·2016·International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Abstract

Melatonin has been speculated to be mainly synthesized by mitochondria. This speculation is supported by the recent discovery that aralkylamine N-acetyltransferase/serotonin N-acetyltransferase (AANAT/SNAT) is localized in mitochondria of oocytes and the isolated mitochondria generate melatonin. We have also speculated that melatonin is a mitochondria-targeted antioxidant. It accumulates in mitochondria with high concentration against a concentration gradient. This is probably achieved by an active transportation via mitochondrial melatonin transporter(s). Melatonin protects mitochondria by scavenging reactive oxygen species (ROS), inhibiting the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (MPTP), and activating uncoupling proteins (UCPs). Thus, melatonin maintains the optimal mitochondrial membrane potential and preserves mitochondrial functions. In addition, mitochondrial biogenesis and dynamics is also regulated by melatonin. In most cases, melatonin reduces mitochondrial fission and elevates their fusion. Mitochondrial dynamics exhibit an oscillatory pattern which matches the melatonin circadian secretory rhythm in pinealeocytes and probably in other cells. Recently, melatonin has been found to promote mitophagy and improve homeostasis of mitochondria.

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.3390/ijms17122124

Cites

205 of 205 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.

Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.

A few free checks a day · papers already verified open instantly · results are public

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

The self-check needs the paper’s full text.

Cites

2 retracted

Flagged first, then by citations

1 of the 206 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Tan, D.-X., Manchester, L., Qin, L., & Reiter, R.
Affiliations
The University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center (US)
Corresponding author
  • Tan, Dun-Xian
  • Reiter, Russel
Venue
International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2016-12-16
Volume
17
Issue
12
Pages
2124
ISSN
1422-0067 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2563008150
Cited by
402
References
206
Citations by year
2026: 23 · 2025: 38 · 2024: 51 · 2023: 51 · 2022: 46 · 2021: 50 · 2020: 43 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 33 · 2017: 32
FWCI
3.48
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • International Journal of Molecular Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Endocrine and Autonomic Systems › Circadian rhythm and melatonin
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Mitochondrial Function and Pathology
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › melanin and skin pigmentation
Keywords
melatonin, mitochondrial targeting, mitochondrial protection, mitochondrial dynamics, mitochondrial fission and fusion, mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial permeability transition pore, uncoupling proteins, reactive oxygen species scavenging, mitochondrial membrane potential, mitophagy, acetyltransferase, oocytes, pinealocytes, circadian rhythm
MeSH terms
Mitochondrial Uncoupling Proteins, Mitochondrial Permeability Transition Pore, Animals, Antioxidants, Circadian Rhythm, Enzyme Activation, Humans, Melatonin, Mitochondria, Plants, Reactive Oxygen Species, Mitochondrial Membrane Transport Proteins, Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial, Mitochondrial Dynamics, Mitophagy

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review