Xenopus tadpole melanophores are controlled by dark and light and melatonin without influence of time of day.

TLDR: Melanophores were studied in tadpoles of the South African clawed toad during the first week after hatching and became punctate in response to a series of melatonin concentrations in their bathing water irrespective of the time of day melatonin was administered.

Abstract: Melanophores were studied in tadpoles of the South African clawed toad, Xenopus laevis, during the first week after hatching (stages 46-49) at 25 degrees C. The tadpoles had melanophores with dispersed melanosomes in the light and punctate melanophores in the dark in LD 12:12. The melanophores remained punctate in constant dark and the melanosomes remained dispersed in constant light. Lights-out (in the light-time of LD 12:12) caused the melanophores to become punctate, which occurred more quickly than the dispersion of melanosomes, which commenced when the lights were turned on (in the dark-time of LD 12:12). Melanophores with dispersed melanosomes in tadpoles (in constant light) became punctate in response to a series of melatonin concentrations (0.2-5 ng/ml) in their bathing water irrespective of the time of day melatonin was administered. An image-analysis technique for assessing melanophore responses was tested.