My Research works are focused on the following projects My Research works are focused on the following projects. Serotonin is one of the important neurotransmitter, which has been implicated in numerous physiological functions and pathological disorders. Melatonin is a hormone of vertebrate pineal gland and retinal photoreceptor cells, which exhibit a remarkable circadian rhythm.
Melatonin synthesis is maximal in darkness at night and is dramatically suppressed by light.
I am in a process of cloning the chick TPH promoter. Because TPH is the rate-limiting enzyme in the serotonin synthesis and NAT for melatonin synthesis, TPH and NAT have been considered as potential targets for manipulation of serotonergic neurotransmission and melatonin synthesis respectively. Retinal melatonin appears to act locally as a paracrine neuromodulator and regulator of rhythmic retinal physiology. Understanding the regulation of TPH and NAT activity at the transcriptional level is an essential step toward clarifying the regulation of serotonin and ultimately melatonin biosynthesis. Disk shedding and phagocytosis follow a circadian rhythm in many species and are regulated in part by cAMP, which inhibits shedding and phagocytosis of ROS membranes.