Melatonin Does Not Link the Eyes to the Rest of the Circadian System in Quail: A Neural Pathway Is Involved

Abstract

Blinding by enucleation has a dramatic effect on the circadian activity rhythm of Japanese quail. The activity patterns of enucleated birds held under 24-hr light—dark cycles are disrupted, although entrainment can persist in many birds. In constant darkness (DD), blinded birds are rendered arrhythmic. These results demonstrate that the eyes are a major component of the circadian system, and that insofar as enucleation produces arrhythmicity in DD, the eyes' role is not merely a photosensory one. The eyes of quail can synthesize and secrete the hormone melatonin, which has been implicated as a blood-borne messenger relaying timing information between elements of the circadian system in some avian species. However, the way in which the eyes communicate with the rest of the circadian system in quail appears to be neural, since (1) optic nerve section produces the same effects as blinding by enucleation on the circadian activity rhythm, and (2) eyes subjected to optic nerve section retain their ability to synthesize and secrete melatonin.