Non-photoperiodic actions of melatonin

Blurb: This collection in Reproduction, Fertility and Development addresses a developing area of melatonin biology. Historically, melatonin has been seen as a pineal hormone that plays one essential role - the synchronisation of reproductive and other brain-controlled functions with changes in photoperiod. Often driven by the detection of melatonin receptors in non-brain tissues, it has become clear that melatonin plays a much wider variety of roles in the function of the testis, sperm, ovary, follicles, oocyte, embryo, placenta, fetus, and mammary gland. This collection presents this broader view of melatonin biology, and how the new concepts can be applied to livestock production.