TY - JOUR
T1 - Novel rhythms of N1-acetyl-N2-formyl-5- methoxykynuramine and its precursor melatonin in water hyacinth
T2 - Importance for phytoremediation
AU - Tan, Dun-xian
AU - Manchester, Lucien C.
AU - Di Mascio, Paolo
AU - Martinez, Glaucia R.
AU - Prado, Fernanda M.
AU - Reiter, Russel J.
PY - 2007/6/1
Y1 - 2007/6/1
N2 - N1-acetyl-N2-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine (AMFK) is a major metabolite of melatonin in mammals. To investigate whether AFMK exists in plants, an aquatic plant, water hyacinth, was used. To achieve this, LC/MS/MS with a deuterated standard was employed. AFMK was identified in any plant for the first time. Both it and its precursor, melatonin, were rhythmic with peaks during the late light phase. These novel rhythms indicate that these molecules do not serve as the chemical signal of darkness as in animals but may relate to processes of photosynthesis or photoprotection. These possibilities are supported by higher production of melatonin and AFMK in plants grown in sunlight (10,000-15,000 μW/cm2) compared to those grown under artificial light (400-450 μW/cm2). Melatonin and AFMK, as potent free radical scavengers, may assist plants in coping with harsh environmental insults, including soil and water pollutants. High levels of melatonin and AFMK in water hyacinth may explain why this plant more easily tolerates environmental pollutants, including toxic chemicals and heavy metals and is successfully used in phytoremediation. These novel findings could lead to improvements in the phytoremediative capacity of plants by either stimulating endogenous melatonin synthesis or by adding melatonin to water/soil in which they are grown.
AB - N1-acetyl-N2-formyl-5-methoxykynuramine (AMFK) is a major metabolite of melatonin in mammals. To investigate whether AFMK exists in plants, an aquatic plant, water hyacinth, was used. To achieve this, LC/MS/MS with a deuterated standard was employed. AFMK was identified in any plant for the first time. Both it and its precursor, melatonin, were rhythmic with peaks during the late light phase. These novel rhythms indicate that these molecules do not serve as the chemical signal of darkness as in animals but may relate to processes of photosynthesis or photoprotection. These possibilities are supported by higher production of melatonin and AFMK in plants grown in sunlight (10,000-15,000 μW/cm2) compared to those grown under artificial light (400-450 μW/cm2). Melatonin and AFMK, as potent free radical scavengers, may assist plants in coping with harsh environmental insults, including soil and water pollutants. High levels of melatonin and AFMK in water hyacinth may explain why this plant more easily tolerates environmental pollutants, including toxic chemicals and heavy metals and is successfully used in phytoremediation. These novel findings could lead to improvements in the phytoremediative capacity of plants by either stimulating endogenous melatonin synthesis or by adding melatonin to water/soil in which they are grown.
KW - AFMK
KW - Antioxidant
KW - Circadian rhythm
KW - Plant
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34249812687&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34249812687&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1096/fj.06-7745com
DO - 10.1096/fj.06-7745com
M3 - Article
C2 - 17314136
AN - SCOPUS:34249812687
SN - 0892-6638
VL - 21
SP - 1724
EP - 1729
JO - FASEB Journal
JF - FASEB Journal
IS - 8
ER -