In the Heat of the Night: Thermo-TRPV Channels in the Salmonid Pineal Photoreceptors and Modulation of Melatonin Secretion.

Photoperiod plays an essential role in the synchronization of metabolism, physiology, and behavior to the cyclic variations of the environment. In vertebrates, information is relayed by the pineal cells and translated into the nocturnal production of melatonin. The duration of this signal corresponds to the duration of the night.