Melatonin was discovered more than 60 years ago. Since then, several seminal discoveries have allowed us to define its function as a neuroendocrine hormone and its molecular targets in mammals and many other species. However, many fundamental issues have not yet been solved such as the subcellular localization of melatonin synthesis and the full spectrum of its molecular targets. In addition, a considerable number of controversies persist in the field, mainly concerning how many functions melatonin has. Altogether, this illustrates how “immature” the field still is. The intention of this opinion article is to note the controversies and limitations in the field, to initiate a discussion and to make proposals/guidelines to overcome them and move the field forward.

中文翻译：

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褪黑激素的争议，更新

褪黑激素是在60多年前发现的。从那以后，几项开创性的发现使我们能够将其定义为神经内分泌激素的功能及其在哺乳动物和许多其他物种中的分子靶标。但是，许多基本问题尚未解决，例如褪黑激素合成的亚细胞定位及其分子靶标的全部光谱。此外，该领域仍存在大量争议，主要涉及褪黑激素具有多少功能。总而言之，这说明了该领域仍然多么“不成熟”。本文的目的是要指出该领域的争议和局限性，以进行讨论并提出克服这些挑战和推动该领域前进的提案/指南。