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Su L, Li G, Chow BKC, Cardoso JCR. Neuropeptides and receptors in the cephalochordate: A crucial model for understanding the origin and evolution of vertebrate neuropeptide systems. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 592:112324. [PMID: 38944371 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2024.112324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Genomes and transcriptomes from diverse organisms are providing a wealth of data to explore the evolution and origin of neuropeptides and their receptors in metazoans. While most neuropeptide-receptor systems have been extensively studied in vertebrates, there is still a considerable lack of understanding regarding their functions in invertebrates, an extraordinarily diverse group that account for the majority of animal species on Earth. Cephalochordates, commonly known as amphioxus or lancelets, serve as the evolutionary proxy of the chordate ancestor. Their key evolutionary position, bridging the invertebrate to vertebrate transition, has been explored to uncover the origin, evolution, and function of vertebrate neuropeptide systems. Amphioxus genomes exhibit a high degree of sequence and structural conservation with vertebrates, and sequence and functional homologues of several vertebrate neuropeptide families are present in cephalochordates. This review aims to provide a comprehensively overview of the recent findings on neuropeptides and their receptors in cephalochordates, highlighting their significance as a model for understanding the complex evolution of neuropeptide signaling in vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liuru Su
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China
| | - Guang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China.
| | - Billy K C Chow
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - João C R Cardoso
- Comparative Endocrinology and Integrative Biology, Centre of Marine Sciences, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139, Faro, Portugal.
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2
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Velasco I, Daza-Dueñas S, Torres E, Ruiz-Pino F, Vázquez MJ, Tena-Sempere M. Kisspeptins centrally modulate food intake and locomotor activity in mice independently of gonadal steroids in a sexually dimorphic manner. J Neuroendocrinol 2024:e13433. [PMID: 39041546 DOI: 10.1111/jne.13433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Revised: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Kisspeptins are essential regulators of the reproductive axis, with capacity to potently activate gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons, acting also as central conduits for the metabolic regulation of fertility. Recent evidence suggests that kisspeptins per se may also modulate several metabolic parameters, including body weight, food intake or energy expenditure, but their actual roles and site(s) of action remain unclear. We present herein a series of studies addressing the metabolic effects of central and peripheral administration of kisspeptin-10 (Kp-10; 1 nmol and 3 nmol daily, respectively) for 11 days in mice of both sexes. To assess direct metabolic actions of Kp-10 versus those derived indirectly from its capacity to modulate gonadal hormone secretion, kisspeptin effects were tested in adult male and female mice gonadectomized and supplemented with fixed, physiological doses of testosterone or 17β-estradiol, respectively. Central administration of Kp-10 decreased food intake in male mice, especially during the dark phase (~50%), which was accompanied by a reduction in total and nocturnal energy expenditure (~16%) and locomotor activity (~70%). In contrast, opposite patterns were detected in female mice, with an increase in total and nocturnal locomotor activity (>65%), despite no changes in food intake or energy expenditure. These changes were independent of body weight, as no differences were detected in mice of both sexes at the end of Kp-10 treatments. Peripheral administration of Kp-10 failed to alter any of the metabolic parameters analyzed, except for a decrease in locomotor activity in male mice and a subtle increase in 24 h food intake in female mice, denoting a predominant central role of kisspeptins in the control of energy metabolism. Finally, glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity were not significantly affected by central or peripheral treatment with Kp-10. In conclusion, our data reveal a potential role of kisspeptins in the control of key metabolic parameters, including food intake, energy expenditure and locomotor activity, with a preferential action at central level, which is sex steroid-independent but sexually dimorphic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inmaculada Velasco
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Silvia Daza-Dueñas
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Encarnación Torres
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Pino
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Córdoba, Spain
| | - María J Vázquez
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Manuel Tena-Sempere
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Córdoba, Spain
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3
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Cassin J, Stamou MI, Keefe KW, Sung KE, Bojo CC, Tonsfeldt KJ, Rojas RA, Ferreira Lopes V, Plummer L, Salnikov KB, Keefe DL, Ozata M, Genel M, Georgopoulos NA, Hall JE, Crowley WF, Seminara SB, Mellon PL, Balasubramanian R. Heterozygous mutations in SOX2 may cause idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism via dominant-negative mechanisms. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e164324. [PMID: 36602867 PMCID: PMC9977424 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.164324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Pathogenic SRY-box transcription factor 2 (SOX2) variants typically cause severe ocular defects within a SOX2 disorder spectrum that includes hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. We examined exome-sequencing data from a large, well-phenotyped cohort of patients with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) for pathogenic SOX2 variants to investigate the underlying pathogenic SOX2 spectrum and its associated phenotypes. We identified 8 IHH individuals harboring heterozygous pathogenic SOX2 variants with variable ocular phenotypes. These variant proteins were tested in vitro to determine whether a causal relationship between IHH and SOX2 exists. We found that Sox2 was highly expressed in the hypothalamus of adult mice and colocalized with kisspeptin 1 (KISS1) expression in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus of adult female mice. In vitro, shRNA suppression of mouse SOX2 protein in Kiss-expressing cell lines increased the levels of human kisspeptin luciferase (hKiss-luc) transcription, while SOX2 overexpression repressed hKiss-luc transcription. Further, 4 of the identified SOX2 variants prevented this SOX2-mediated repression of hKiss-luc. Together, these data suggest that pathogenic SOX2 variants contribute to both anosmic and normosmic forms of IHH, attesting to hypothalamic defects in the SOX2 disorder spectrum. Our study describes potentially novel mechanisms contributing to SOX2-related disease and highlights the necessity of SOX2 screening in IHH genetic evaluation irrespective of associated ocular defects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Cassin
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences; Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine; and
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Maria I. Stamou
- Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Center for Reproductive Medicine and Reproductive Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kimberly W. Keefe
- Center for Infertility and Reproductive Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kaitlin E. Sung
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences; Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine; and
| | - Celine C. Bojo
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences; Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine; and
| | - Karen J. Tonsfeldt
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences; Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine; and
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Rebecca A. Rojas
- Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Center for Reproductive Medicine and Reproductive Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vanessa Ferreira Lopes
- Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Center for Reproductive Medicine and Reproductive Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lacey Plummer
- Center for Infertility and Reproductive Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Kathryn B. Salnikov
- Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Center for Reproductive Medicine and Reproductive Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - David L. Keefe
- Center for Infertility and Reproductive Surgery, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Myron Genel
- Section of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Neoklis A. Georgopoulos
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, University of Patras Medical School, Patras, Greece
| | - Janet E. Hall
- National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - William F. Crowley
- Endocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, and Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Stephanie B. Seminara
- Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Center for Reproductive Medicine and Reproductive Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Pamela L. Mellon
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences; Center for Reproductive Science and Medicine; and
- Center for Circadian Biology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Ravikumar Balasubramanian
- Massachusetts General Hospital Harvard Center for Reproductive Medicine and Reproductive Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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4
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Roa J, Ruiz-Cruz M, Ruiz-Pino F, Onieva R, Vazquez MJ, Sanchez-Tapia MJ, Ruiz-Rodriguez JM, Sobrino V, Barroso A, Heras V, Velasco I, Perdices-Lopez C, Ohlsson C, Avendaño MS, Prevot V, Poutanen M, Pinilla L, Gaytan F, Tena-Sempere M. Dicer ablation in Kiss1 neurons impairs puberty and fertility preferentially in female mice. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4663. [PMID: 35945211 PMCID: PMC9363423 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32347-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Kiss1 neurons, producing kisspeptins, are essential for puberty and fertility, but their molecular regulatory mechanisms remain unfolded. Here, we report that congenital ablation of the microRNA-synthesizing enzyme, Dicer, in Kiss1 cells, causes late-onset hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in both sexes, but is compatible with pubertal initiation and preserved Kiss1 neuronal populations at the infantile/juvenile period. Yet, failure to complete puberty and attain fertility is observed only in females. Kiss1-specific ablation of Dicer evokes disparate changes of Kiss1-cell numbers and Kiss1/kisspeptin expression between hypothalamic subpopulations during the pubertal-transition, with a predominant decline in arcuate-nucleus Kiss1 levels, linked to enhanced expression of its repressors, Mkrn3, Cbx7 and Eap1. Our data unveil that miRNA-biosynthesis in Kiss1 neurons is essential for pubertal completion and fertility, especially in females, but dispensable for initial reproductive maturation and neuronal survival in both sexes. Our results disclose a predominant miRNA-mediated inhibitory program of repressive signals that is key for precise regulation of Kiss1 expression and, thereby, reproductive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Roa
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain. .,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain. .,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, 14004, Córdoba, Spain. .,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.
| | - Miguel Ruiz-Cruz
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Francisco Ruiz-Pino
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Rocio Onieva
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Maria J Vazquez
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Maria J Sanchez-Tapia
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Jose M Ruiz-Rodriguez
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Veronica Sobrino
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Alexia Barroso
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Violeta Heras
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Inmaculada Velasco
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Cecilia Perdices-Lopez
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Claes Ohlsson
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Maria Soledad Avendaño
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Vincent Prevot
- Univ. Lille, Inserm, CHU Lille, Laboratory of Development and Plasticity of the Neuroendocrine Brain, Lille Neuroscience & Cognition, UMR-S1172, 59000, Lille, France
| | - Matti Poutanen
- Department of Internal Medicine and Clinical Nutrition, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden.,Institute of Biomedicine, Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, and Turku Center for Disease Modeling, University of Turku, 20520, Turku, Finland
| | - Leonor Pinilla
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Francisco Gaytan
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, 14004, Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Manuel Tena-Sempere
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain. .,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, 14004, Córdoba, Spain. .,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, 14004, Córdoba, Spain. .,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004, Córdoba, Spain. .,Institute of Biomedicine, Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, and Turku Center for Disease Modeling, University of Turku, 20520, Turku, Finland.
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5
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Soriano-Guillén L, Tena-Sempere M, Seraphim CE, Latronico AC, Argente J. Precocious sexual maturation: Unravelling the mechanisms of pubertal onset through clinical observations. J Neuroendocrinol 2022; 34:e12979. [PMID: 33904190 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Puberty is a crucial biological process normally occurring at a specific time during the lifespan, during which sexual and somatic maturation are completed, and reproductive capacity is reached. Pubertal timing is not only determined by genetics, but also by endogenous and environmental cues, including nutritional and metabolic signals. During the last decade, we have learned much regarding the essential roles of kisspeptins and the neuropeptide pathways that converge on these neurones to modulate kisspeptin signalling, as well as neurokinin B and dynorphin, the co-transmitters of Kiss1 neurones in the arcuate nucleus, and the effects of melanocortins on puberty. Indeed, melanocortins are involved in transmitting the regulatory actions of metabolic cues on pubertal maturation. Intracellular metabolic sensors, such as the AMP-activated protein kinase and the fuel-sensing deacetylase SIRT1, have been shown to contribute to puberty. Further understanding of these signals and regulatory circuits will help uncover the intimacies of the central control of puberty, as well as how alterations in metabolic status, ranging from undernutrition to obesity, affect the pubertal process. Precocious puberty is rare and has a clear female predominance. Central precocious puberty (CPP) is diagnosed when premature activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis occurs. Its causes are heterogeneous, with alterations of the central nervous system being of special interest, and with environmental factors also playing a role in some cases. During the last decade, several mutations in different genes (including KISS1, KISS1R, MKRN3 and DLK1) that cause CPP have been discovered. Loss-of-function mutations in MKRN3 are the most common monogenic cause of CPP known to date. Here, we review and update what is known regarding the genotype-phenotype relationship in patients with CPP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro Soriano-Guillén
- Department of Pediatrics, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Tena-Sempere
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Córdoba, Spain
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, Córdoba, Spain
- Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Córdoba, Spain
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine and Turku Center for Disease Modeling, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Carlos E Seraphim
- Laboratory of Hormones and Molecular Genetics, LIM42, Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Discipline Endocrinology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, Clinicas Hospital, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana C Latronico
- Laboratory of Hormones and Molecular Genetics, LIM42, Developmental Endocrinology Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Discipline Endocrinology and Metabolism, Faculty of Medicine, Clinicas Hospital, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jesús Argente
- Department of Pediatrics, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Pediatrics & Pediatric Endocrinology, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Instituto de Investigación La Princesa, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- IMDEA Food Institute, CEIUAM+CSIC, Madrid, Spain
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6
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Kang T, Ye J, Qin P, Li H, Yao Z, Liu Y, Ling Y, Zhang Y, Yu T, Cao H, Li Y, Wang J, Fang F. Knockdown of Ptprn-2 delays the onset of puberty in female rats. Theriogenology 2021; 176:137-148. [PMID: 34607132 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2021.09.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, we evaluated how Ptprn-2 (encoding tyrosine phosphatase, receptor type, N2 polypeptide protein) affects the onset of puberty in female rats. We evaluated the expression of Ptprn-2 mRNA and protein in the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis of female rats using real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) and immunofluorescence at infancy, prepuberty, puberty, peripuberty, and adulthood. We evaluated the effects of Ptprn-2 gene knockdown on different aspects of reproduction-related biology in female rats, including the expression levels of puberty-related genes in vivo and in vitro, the time to onset of puberty, the concentration of serum reproductive hormones, the morphology of ovaries, and the ultrastructure of pituitary gonadotropin cells. Our results demonstrated that PTPRN-2 was primarily distributed in the arcuate nucleus (ARC), periventricular nucleus (PeN), adenohypophysis, and the ovarian follicular theca, stroma, and granulosa cells of female rats at various stages. Ptprn-2 mRNA levels significantly varied between peripuberty and puberty (P < 0.05) in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. In hypothalamic cells, Ptprn-2 knockdown decreased the expression of Ptprn-2 and Rfrp-3 mRNA (P < 0.05) and increased the levels of Gnrh and Kiss-1 mRNA (P < 0.05). Ptprn-2 knockdown in the hypothalamus resulted in delayed vaginal opening compared to the control group (n = 12, P < 0.01), and Ptprn-2, Gnrh, and Kiss-1 mRNA levels (P < 0.05) all decreased, while the expression of Igf-1 (P < 0.05) and Rfrp-3 mRNA (P < 0.01) increased. The concentrations of FSH and P4 in the serum of Ptprn-2 knockdown rats were lower than in control animals (P < 0.05). Large transverse perimeters and longitudinal perimeters (P < 0.05) were found in the ovaries of Ptprn-2 knockdown rats. There were fewer large secretory particles from gonadotropin cells in adenohypophysis tissue of the Ptprn-2 knockdown group compared to the control group. This indicates that Ptprn-2 knockdown can regulate levels of Gnrh, Kiss-1, and Rfrp-3 mRNA in the hypothalamus, regulate the concentration of serum FSH and P4, and alter the morphology of ovarian and gonadotropin cells, delaying the onset of puberty in female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiezhu Kang
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resources Protection and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Jing Ye
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resources Protection and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Ping Qin
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resources Protection and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Hailing Li
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resources Protection and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Zhiqiu Yao
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resources Protection and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Ya Liu
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resources Protection and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Yinghui Ling
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resources Protection and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Yunhai Zhang
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resources Protection and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Tong Yu
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resources Protection and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Hongguo Cao
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resources Protection and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Yunsheng Li
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resources Protection and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Juhua Wang
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resources Protection and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China
| | - Fugui Fang
- Anhui Provincial Laboratory of Animal Genetic Resources Protection and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory for Local Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resource Conservation and Bio-Breeding, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China; Department of Animal Veterinary Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 Changjiang West Road, Hefei, Anhui, 230036, China.
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7
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The "Adipo-Cerebral" Dialogue in Childhood Obesity: Focus on Growth and Puberty. Physiopathological and Nutritional Aspects. Nutrients 2021; 13:nu13103434. [PMID: 34684432 PMCID: PMC8539184 DOI: 10.3390/nu13103434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Overweight and obesity in children and adolescents are overwhelming problems in western countries. Adipocytes, far from being only fat deposits, are capable of endocrine functions, and the endocrine activity of adipose tissue, resumable in adipokines production, seems to be a key modulator of central nervous system function, suggesting the existence of an “adipo-cerebral axis.” This connection exerts a key role in children growth and puberty development, and it is exemplified by the leptin–kisspeptin interaction. The aim of this review was to describe recent advances in the knowledge of adipose tissue endocrine functions and their relations with nutrition and growth. The peculiarities of major adipokines are briefly summarized in the first paragraph; leptin and its interaction with kisspeptin are focused on in the second paragraph; the third paragraph deals with the regulation of the GH-IGF axis, with a special focus on the model represented by growth hormone deficiency (GHD); finally, old and new nutritional aspects are described in the last paragraph.
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8
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Leon S, Talbi R, McCarthy EA, Ferrari K, Fergani C, Naule L, Choi JH, Carroll RS, Kaiser UB, Aylwin CF, Lomniczi A, Navarro VM. Sex-specific pubertal and metabolic regulation of Kiss1 neurons via Nhlh2. eLife 2021; 10:e69765. [PMID: 34494548 PMCID: PMC8439651 DOI: 10.7554/elife.69765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Hypothalamic Kiss1 neurons control gonadotropin-releasing hormone release through the secretion of kisspeptin. Kiss1 neurons serve as a nodal center that conveys essential regulatory cues for the attainment and maintenance of reproductive function. Despite this critical role, the mechanisms that control kisspeptin synthesis and release remain largely unknown. Using Drop-Seq data from the arcuate nucleus of adult mice and in situ hybridization, we identified Nescient Helix-Loop-Helix 2 (Nhlh2), a transcription factor of the basic helix-loop-helix family, to be enriched in Kiss1 neurons. JASPAR analysis revealed several binding sites for NHLH2 in the Kiss1 and Tac2 (neurokinin B) 5' regulatory regions. In vitro luciferase assays evidenced a robust stimulatory action of NHLH2 on human KISS1 and TAC3 promoters. The recruitment of NHLH2 to the KISS1 and TAC3 promoters was further confirmed through chromatin immunoprecipitation. In vivo conditional ablation of Nhlh2 from Kiss1 neurons using Kiss1Cre:Nhlh2fl/fl mice induced a male-specific delay in puberty onset, in line with a decrease in arcuate Kiss1 expression. Females retained normal reproductive function albeit with irregular estrous cycles. Further analysis of male Kiss1Cre:Nhlh2fl/fl mice revealed higher susceptibility to metabolic challenges in the release of luteinizing hormone and impaired response to leptin. Overall, in Kiss1 neurons, Nhlh2 contributes to the metabolic regulation of kisspeptin and NKB synthesis and release, with implications for the timing of puberty onset and regulation of fertility in male mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Leon
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s HospitalBostonUnited States
| | - Rajae Talbi
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s HospitalBostonUnited States
| | - Elizabeth A McCarthy
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s HospitalBostonUnited States
| | - Kaitlin Ferrari
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s HospitalBostonUnited States
| | - Chrysanthi Fergani
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s HospitalBostonUnited States
| | - Lydie Naule
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s HospitalBostonUnited States
| | - Ji Hae Choi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s HospitalBostonUnited States
| | - Rona S Carroll
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s HospitalBostonUnited States
| | - Ursula B Kaiser
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s HospitalBostonUnited States
| | - Carlos F Aylwin
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research CenterBeavertonUnited States
| | - Alejandro Lomniczi
- Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research CenterBeavertonUnited States
| | - Víctor M Navarro
- Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s HospitalBostonUnited States
- Harvard Program in NeuroscienceBostonUnited States
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9
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Chronic kisspeptin delays puberty and reduces feed intake and body weight in female rats. JOURNAL OF ANIMAL REPRODUCTION AND BIOTECHNOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.12750/jarb.36.1.25] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
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10
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Kisspeptin-52 partially rescues the activity of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis in underweight male rats dosed with an anti-obesity compound. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 2020; 404:115152. [PMID: 32726590 DOI: 10.1016/j.taap.2020.115152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Energy metabolism and reproduction are closely linked and reciprocally regulated. The detrimental effect of underweight on reproduction complicates the safety evaluation of anti-obesity drugs, making it challenging to distinguish pathological changes mediated through the intended drug-induced weight loss from direct drug effects on reproductive organs. Four-weeks dosing of normal weight Sprague Dawley rats with a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1)/glucagon receptor co-agonist induced a robust weight loss, accompanied by histological findings in prostate, seminal vesicles, mammary glands, uterus/cervix and vagina. Characterization of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis in male rats revealed reduced hypothalamic Kiss1 mRNA levels and decreased serum luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone concentrations following co-agonist dosing. These alterations resemble hypogonadotropic hypogonadism typically seen in adverse energy deprived conditions, like chronic food restriction. Concomitant daily administration of kisspeptin-52 from day 21 to the end of the four-week co-agonist dosing period evoked LH and testosterone responses without normalizing histological findings. This incomplete rescue by kisspeptin-52 may be due to the rather short kisspeptin-52 treatment period combined with a desensitization observed on testosterone responses. Concomitant leptin treatment from day 21 did not reverse co-agonist induced changes in HPG axis activity. Furthermore, a single co-agonist injection in male rats slightly elevated LH levels but left testosterone unperturbed, thereby excluding a direct acute inhibitory effect on the HPG axis. Our data suggest that the reproductive phenotype after repeated co-agonist administration was driven by the intended weight loss, however, we cannot exclude a direct organ related effect in chronically treated rats.
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11
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Northup SL, Coffman EA, Strickland LG, Pohler KG, Daniel JA, Whitlock BK. Intravenous infusion of kisspeptin increased serum luteinizing hormone acutely and decreased serum follicle stimulating hormone chronically in prepubertal bull calves. Theriogenology 2019; 144:1-7. [PMID: 31881476 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2019.12.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Kisspeptin (KP) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that stimulates the secretion of gonadotropin releasing hormone. To determine the acute and chronic effects of KP on serum concentrations of luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), prepubertal bull calves [12 ± 1 (SD) weeks of age; 96.5 ± 14.5 kg BW] were administered one of four treatments [0.0 (control; CON), 0.125 (L-KP), 0.25 (M-KP), or 0.5 (H-KP) μg of KP/kg BW/hour] by intravenous infusion for 76 h. Blood samples were collected every 15 min for the first (acute; 1-6 h; Day 1) and last (chronic; 71-76 h; Day 4) 6 h of the intravenous infusions. Serum concentrations of LH and FSH were determined by radioimmunoassay. For each day, effects of treatment, time, and interactions on LH and FSH concentrations and pulse parameters were analyzed using procedures for repeated measures with JMP Software (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC). There was a treatment effect (P = 0.002) and a treatment × time interaction during Day 1 (P = 0.02) such that LH concentrations were greatest following administration of all doses of KP when compared to CON. However, there was no treatment effect (P = 0.57) or a treatment × time interaction during Day 4 (P = 0.20) on serum LH concentrations. There was a treatment by day interaction (P = 0.02) on mean serum FSH concentrations. Most notably, on Day 4 mean serum FSH concentrations during intravenous infusion of M-KP and H-KP doses were less than that of CON. There was a treatment by day interaction (P = 0.0054) on FSH pulse amplitude concentrations, such that intravenous infusion of all doses of KP on Day 4 decreased FSH pulse amplitudes. In conclusion, acute infusion of KP increased LH concentrations and chronic infusion of KP decreased FSH concentrations. Despite the potential suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis with chronic infusion of KP, there are likely applications of KP, KP analogs, or KP receptor agonists to hasten the onset of puberty in livestock.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L Northup
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA; Department of Animal Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Coffman
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Lew G Strickland
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA; Department of Animal Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Ky G Pohler
- Department of Animal Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Jay A Daniel
- School of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Berry College, Mount Berry, GA, USA
| | - Brian K Whitlock
- College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
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12
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Sahin Z, Kelestimur H. RF9: May it be a new therapeutic option for hypogonadotropic hypogonadism? Med Hypotheses 2019; 128:54-57. [PMID: 31203909 DOI: 10.1016/j.mehy.2019.05.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 05/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (secondary hypogonadism), congenital or acquired, is a form of hypogonadism that is due to problems with either the hypothalamus or pituitary gland affecting gonadotropin levels. Pulsatile secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) by hypothalamus is a primer step to initiate the release of pituitary gonadotropins. Kisspeptin and gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH) are accepted as two major players in the activation and inhibition of GnRH regarding the neuroendocrine functioning of the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis. Kisspeptin is known as the most potent activator of GnRH. Regarding the inhibition of GnRH, RF-amide-related peptide-3 (RFRP-3) is accepted as the mammalian orthologue of GnIH in avian species. RF9 (1-adamantane carbonyl-Arg-Phe-NH2) is an antagonist of RFRP-3/GnIH receptor (neuropeptide FF receptor 1 (NPFFR1; also termed as GPR147). In recent years, several studies have indicated that RF9 activates GnRH neurons and gonadotropins in a kisspeptin receptor (Kiss1r, formerly known as GPR54) dependent manner. These results suggest that RF9 may have a bimodal function as both an RFRP-3 antagonist and a kisspeptin agonist or it may be a kiss1r agonist rather than an RFRP-3/GnIH receptor antagonist. These interactions are possible because Kisspeptin and GnIH are members of the RF-amide family, and both possibilities are not far from explaining the potent gonadotropin stimulating effects of RF9. Therefore, we hypothesize that RF9 may be a new therapeutic option for the hypogonadotropic hypogonadism due to its potent GnRH stimulating effects. A constant or repeated administration of RF9 provides a sustained increase in plasma gonadotrophin levels. However, applications in the same way with GnRH analogues and kisspeptin may result in desensitization of the gonadotropic axis. The reasons reported above contribute to our hypothesis that RF9 may be a good option in the GnRH stimulating as a kisspeptin agonist. We suggest that further studies are needed to elucidate the potential effects of RF9 in the treatment of the hypogonadotropic hypogonadism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zafer Sahin
- Department of Physiology, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
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13
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Deveci D, Martin FA, Leopold P, Romero NM. AstA Signaling Functions as an Evolutionary Conserved Mechanism Timing Juvenile to Adult Transition. Curr Biol 2019; 29:813-822.e4. [PMID: 30799245 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.01.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Revised: 11/28/2018] [Accepted: 01/21/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The onset of sexual maturation is the result of a hormonal cascade peaking with the production of steroid hormones. In animals undergoing a program of determinate growth, sexual maturation also coincides with the attainment of adult size. The exact signals that time the onset of maturation and the mechanisms coupling growth and maturation remain elusive. Here, we show that the Drosophila neuropeptide AstA and its receptor AstAR1 act as a brain trigger for maturation and juvenile growth. We first identified AstAR1 in an RNAi-based genetic screen as a key regulator of sexual maturation. Its specific knockdown in prothoracicotropic hormone (PTTH)-producing neurons delays the onset of maturation by impairing PTTH secretion. In addition to its role in PTTH neurons, AstAR1 is required in the brain insulin-producing cells (IPCs) to promote insulin secretion and systemic growth. AstAR1 function is mediated by the AstA neuropeptide that is expressed in two bilateral neurons contacting the PTTH neurons and the IPCs. Silencing brain AstA expression delays the onset of maturation, therefore extending the growth period. However, no pupal overgrowth is observed, indicating that, in these conditions, the growth-promoting function of AstAR1 is also impaired. These data suggest that AstA/AstAR1 acts to coordinate juvenile growth with maturation. Interesting, AstA/AstAR1 is homologous to KISS/GPR54, a ligand-receptor signal required for human puberty, suggesting that an evolutionary conserved neural circuitry controls the onset of maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derya Deveci
- University Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, Institute of Biology Valrose, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice, France
| | | | - Pierre Leopold
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS UMR3215, Inserm U934, UPMC Paris-Sorbonne, 26 Rue d'Ulm, 75005 Paris, France.
| | - Nuria M Romero
- University Côte d'Azur, CNRS, Inserm, Institute of Biology Valrose, Parc Valrose, 06108 Nice, France.
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SIRT1 mediates obesity- and nutrient-dependent perturbation of pubertal timing by epigenetically controlling Kiss1 expression. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4194. [PMID: 30305620 PMCID: PMC6179991 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06459-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Puberty is regulated by epigenetic mechanisms and is highly sensitive to metabolic and nutritional cues. However, the epigenetic pathways mediating the effects of nutrition and obesity on pubertal timing are unknown. Here, we identify Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a fuel-sensing deacetylase, as a molecule that restrains female puberty via epigenetic repression of the puberty-activating gene, Kiss1. SIRT1 is expressed in hypothalamic Kiss1 neurons and suppresses Kiss1 expression. SIRT1 interacts with the Polycomb silencing complex to decrease Kiss1 promoter activity. As puberty approaches, SIRT1 is evicted from the Kiss1 promoter facilitating a repressive-to-permissive switch in chromatin landscape. Early-onset overnutrition accelerates these changes, enhances Kiss1 expression and advances puberty. In contrast, undernutrition raises SIRT1 levels, protracts Kiss1 repression and delays puberty. This delay is mimicked by central pharmacological activation of SIRT1 or SIRT1 overexpression, achieved via transgenesis or virogenetic targeting to the ARC. Our results identify SIRT1-mediated inhibition of Kiss1 as key epigenetic mechanism by which nutritional cues and obesity influence mammalian puberty. The onset of mammalian puberty is sensitive to metabolic changes and nutritional status, but the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are poorly understood. Here the authors show that the epigenetic regulator of transcription, SIRT1, mediates the effects of under and overnutrition on pubertal timing by controlling the expression of Kiss1 in hypothalamic neurons.
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15
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Kang MJ, Oh YJ, Shim YS, Baek JW, Yang S, Hwang IT. The usefulness of circulating levels of leptin, kisspeptin, and neurokinin B in obese girls with precocious puberty. Gynecol Endocrinol 2018; 34:627-630. [PMID: 29303010 DOI: 10.1080/09513590.2017.1423467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the relationships of circulating leptin, kisspeptin, and neurokinin B (NKB) levels with precocious puberty (PP) in overweight/obese girls and evaluated the usefulness of these markers in the initiation of puberty. One hundred and twenty-eight girls aged 7.0-8.9 years with PP (group A, normal-weight; group B, overweight/obese) and 30 age-matched normal controls (NC) were enrolled. Serum levels of leptin, kisspeptin, and NKB were measured by commercial kits. Serum leptin levels were higher in group A (4.21 ng/mL) and B (5.64 ng/mL) compared to the NC (2.35 ng/mL, p < .001). Serum kisspeptin levels were lower in group A (0.59 ng/mL) than in group B (0.66 ng/mL, p = .018). Serum NKB levels were not different among the three groups. The predictive value of leptin (AUC =0.791) was lower than that of IGF-1 (AUC =0.917, p = .009), although both were significant markers for PP in the regression analysis. BMI z-score (AUC =0.806) was a predictive factor of PP. In conclusion, a higher level of leptin, IGF-1, and fatness in overweight/obese girls with PP compared to the NC confirms their roles in the regulation of puberty. Further research is needed if the effects of kisspeptin and NKB on puberty are limited at the levels of neurons or target tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Jae Kang
- a Department of Pediatrics , Hallym University College of Medicine , Chuncheon-si , Gangwon-do , Republic of Korea
| | - Yeon Joung Oh
- a Department of Pediatrics , Hallym University College of Medicine , Chuncheon-si , Gangwon-do , Republic of Korea
| | - Young Suk Shim
- a Department of Pediatrics , Hallym University College of Medicine , Chuncheon-si , Gangwon-do , Republic of Korea
| | - Joon Woo Baek
- a Department of Pediatrics , Hallym University College of Medicine , Chuncheon-si , Gangwon-do , Republic of Korea
| | - Seung Yang
- a Department of Pediatrics , Hallym University College of Medicine , Chuncheon-si , Gangwon-do , Republic of Korea
| | - Il Tae Hwang
- a Department of Pediatrics , Hallym University College of Medicine , Chuncheon-si , Gangwon-do , Republic of Korea
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16
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Tu X, Liu M, Tang J, Zhang Y, Shi Y, Yu L, Sun Z. The ovarian estrogen synthesis function was impaired in Y123F mouse and partly restored by exogenous FSH supplement. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2018; 16:44. [PMID: 29728128 PMCID: PMC5934784 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-018-0365-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND LepR tyrosine site mutation mice (Y123F) exhibit decreased serum E2 levels, immature reproductive organs, infertility as well as metabolic abnormalities. Although the actions of leptin and lepR in the control of reproductive function are thought to be exerted mainly via the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, relatively less is known regarding their local effects on the peripheral ovary, especially on steroid hormone synthesis. Meanwhile, whether the decreased fertility of Y123F mouse could be restored by gonadotropin has not been clear yet. METHODS The serum levels of E2, P4, FSH, LH, T and leptin of Y123F and WT mice at the age of 12 weeks were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Immunohistochemistry was used to compare the distribution of hormone synthases (STAR, CYP11A1, CYP19A1, HSD17B7) and FSHR in adult mouse ovaries of two genotypes. Western blot and real-time PCR were used to detect the expression levels of four ovarian hormone synthases and JAK2-STAT3 / STAT5 signaling pathway in 4 and 12 weeks old mice, as well as the effects of exogenous hFSH stimulation on hormone synthases and FSHR. RESULTS Compared with WT mice, the serum levels of FSH, LH and E2 in 12-week-old Y123F mice were significantly decreased; T and leptin levels were significantly increased; but there was no significant difference of serum P4 levels. STAR, CYP11A1, HSD17B7 expression levels and the phosphorylation levels of JAK2 and STAT3 were significantly decreased in adult Y123F mice, while the expression of CYP19A1 and phospho-STAT5 were significantly increased. No significant differences were found between 4-week-old Y123F and WT mice. After exogenous hFSH stimulation, E2 levels and expression of CYP19A1 and HSD17B7 were significantly higher than that in the non-stimulated state, but significant differences still existed between Y123F and WT genotype mice under the same condition. CONCLUSIONS Abnormal sex hormone levels of Y123F mice were due to not only decreased gonadotropin levels in the central nervous system, but also ovarian hormone synthase abnormalities in the peripheral gonads. Both FSH signaling pathway and JAK2-STAT3/STAT5 signaling pathway were involved in regulation of ovarian hormone synthases expression. Exogenous FSH just partly improved the blood E2 levels and ovarian hormone synthase expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Tu
- 0000 0001 0125 2443grid.8547.eKey Lab of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC, SIPPR, IRD, Fudan University, Xietu Road 2140, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032 China
- 0000 0004 1759 700Xgrid.13402.34Women’s Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Miao Liu
- 0000 0001 0125 2443grid.8547.eKey Lab of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC, SIPPR, IRD, Fudan University, Xietu Road 2140, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Jianan Tang
- 0000 0001 0125 2443grid.8547.eKey Lab of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC, SIPPR, IRD, Fudan University, Xietu Road 2140, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Yu Zhang
- 0000 0001 0125 2443grid.8547.eKey Lab of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC, SIPPR, IRD, Fudan University, Xietu Road 2140, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Yan Shi
- 0000 0001 0125 2443grid.8547.eKey Lab of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC, SIPPR, IRD, Fudan University, Xietu Road 2140, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Lin Yu
- 0000 0001 0125 2443grid.8547.eKey Lab of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC, SIPPR, IRD, Fudan University, Xietu Road 2140, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032 China
| | - Zhaogui Sun
- 0000 0001 0125 2443grid.8547.eKey Lab of Reproduction Regulation of NPFPC, SIPPR, IRD, Fudan University, Xietu Road 2140, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032 China
- Key Laboratory of Contraceptive Drugs & Devices of NPFPC, Shanghai Institution of Planned Parenthood Research, Xietu Road 2140, Xuhui District, Shanghai, 200032 China
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17
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Avendaño MS, Vazquez MJ, Tena-Sempere M. Disentangling puberty: novel neuroendocrine pathways and mechanisms for the control of mammalian puberty. Hum Reprod Update 2018; 23:737-763. [PMID: 28961976 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmx025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Puberty is a complex developmental event, controlled by sophisticated regulatory networks that integrate peripheral and internal cues and impinge at the brain centers driving the reproductive axis. The tempo of puberty is genetically determined but is also sensitive to numerous modifiers, from metabolic and sex steroid signals to environmental factors. Recent epidemiological evidence suggests that the onset of puberty is advancing in humans, through as yet unknown mechanisms. In fact, while much knowledge has been gleaned recently on the mechanisms responsible for the control of mammalian puberty, fundamental questions regarding the intimate molecular and neuroendocrine pathways responsible for the precise timing of puberty and its deviations remain unsolved. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE By combining data from suitable model species and humans, we aim to provide a comprehensive summary of our current understanding of the neuroendocrine mechanisms governing puberty, with particular focus on its central regulatory pathways, underlying molecular basis and mechanisms for metabolic control. SEARCH METHODS A comprehensive MEDLINE search of articles published mostly from 2003 to 2017 has been carried out. Data from cellular and animal models (including our own results) as well as clinical studies focusing on the pathophysiology of puberty in mammals were considered and cross-referenced with terms related with central neuroendocrine mechanisms, metabolic control and epigenetic/miRNA regulation. OUTCOMES Studies conducted during the last decade have revealed the essential role of novel central neuroendocrine pathways in the control of puberty, with a prominent role of kisspeptins in the precise regulation of the pubertal activation of GnRH neurosecretory activity. In addition, different transmitters, including neurokinin-B (NKB) and, possibly, melanocortins, have been shown to interplay with kisspeptins in tuning puberty onset. Alike, recent studies have documented the role of epigenetic mechanisms, involving mainly modulation of repressors that target kisspeptins and NKB pathways, as well as microRNAs and the related binding protein, Lin28B, in the central control of puberty. These novel pathways provide the molecular and neuroendocrine basis for the modulation of puberty by different endogenous and environmental cues, including nutritional and metabolic factors, such as leptin, ghrelin and insulin, which are known to play an important role in pubertal timing. WIDER IMPLICATIONS Despite recent advancements, our understanding of the basis of mammalian puberty remains incomplete. Complete elucidation of the novel neuropeptidergic and molecular mechanisms summarized in this review will not only expand our knowledge of the intimate mechanisms responsible for puberty onset in humans, but might also provide new tools and targets for better prevention and management of pubertal deviations in the clinical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- M S Avendaño
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Avda. Menéndez Pidal, s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Córdoba, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n. 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, Avda. Menéndez Pidal, s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avda. Menéndez Pidal, s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - M J Vazquez
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Avda. Menéndez Pidal, s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Córdoba, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n. 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, Avda. Menéndez Pidal, s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avda. Menéndez Pidal, s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - M Tena-Sempere
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), Avda. Menéndez Pidal, s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Córdoba, Avda. Menéndez Pidal s/n. 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, Avda. Menéndez Pidal, s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Avda. Menéndez Pidal, s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.,FiDiPro Program, Department of Physiology, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, FIN-20520 Turku, Finland
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18
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Fernandez MO, Hsueh K, Park HT, Sauceda C, Hwang V, Kumar D, Kim S, Rickert E, Mahata S, Webster NJG. Astrocyte-Specific Deletion of Peroxisome-Proliferator Activated Receptor- γ Impairs Glucose Metabolism and Estrous Cycling in Female Mice. J Endocr Soc 2017; 1:1332-1350. [PMID: 29264458 PMCID: PMC5686676 DOI: 10.1210/js.2017-00242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Mice lacking peroxisome-proliferator activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) in neurons do not become leptin resistant when placed on a high-fat diet (HFD). In male mice, this results in decreased food intake and increased energy expenditure, causing reduced body weight, but this difference in body weight is not observed in female mice. In addition, estrous cycles are disturbed and the ovaries present with hemorrhagic follicles. We observed that PPARγ was more highly expressed in astrocytes than neurons, so we created an inducible, conditional knockout of PPARγ in astrocytes (AKO). The AKO mice had impaired glucose tolerance and hepatic steatosis that did not worsen with HFD. Expression of gluconeogenic genes was elevated in the mouse livers, as was expression of several genes involved in lipogenesis, lipid transport, and storage. The AKO mice also had a reproductive phenotype with fewer estrous cycles, elevated plasma testosterone levels, reduced corpora lutea formation, and alterations in hypothalamic and ovarian gene expression. Thus, the phenotypes of the AKO mice were very different from those seen in the neuronal knockout mice, suggesting distinct roles for PPARγ in these two cell types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina O Fernandez
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093.,Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, CONICET. Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Katherine Hsueh
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Hyun Tae Park
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul 136-705, Korea
| | - Consuelo Sauceda
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Vicky Hwang
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Deepak Kumar
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Sun Kim
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Emily Rickert
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Sumana Mahata
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
| | - Nicholas J G Webster
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093.,Medical Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California 92161.,Moores Cancer Center, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093
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19
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Wang P, Wang M, Ji G, Yang S, Zhang S, Liu Z. Demonstration of a Functional Kisspeptin/Kisspeptin Receptor System in Amphioxus With Implications for Origin of Neuroendocrine Regulation. Endocrinology 2017; 158:1461-1473. [PMID: 28324048 DOI: 10.1210/en.2016-1848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Amphioxus belongs to the Cephalochordata, which is the most basal subphylum of the chordates. Despite many studies on the endocrine system of amphioxus, key information about its regulation remains ambiguous. Here we clearly demonstrate the presence of a functional kisspeptin/kisspeptin receptor (Kiss-Kissr) system, which is involved in the regulation of reproduction in amphioxus. Evolutionary analyses revealed large expansion of Kiss and Kissr (gpr54) genes in amphioxus, and they might represent the ancestral type of the Kiss/gpr54 genes in chordates. Amphioxus Kiss was obviously expression at the cerebral vesicle and the Hatschek pit, whereas amphioxus gpr54 messenger RNA (mRNA) was abundantly present in nerve cord, ovary, and testes. Amphioxus GPR54-Like1 (GPR54L-1) was shown to be located on the cell membrane. The synthetic amphioxus Kiss-like (KissL) peptides were capable of activating the amphioxus GPR54L-1 with different potencies, hinting the interaction between Kiss and GPR54. Moreover, the expression of amphioxus gpr54 mRNA was significantly decreased during low or high temperature extremes. Importantly, the injection of amphioxus KissL could cause an elevation of zebrafish blood luteinizing hormone level and induce the expression of amphioxus gpb5, a gene encoding the ancestral type of vertebrate pituitary glycoprotein hormones. Also, the expression levels of BjkissL-2 or Bjgpr54L-1 were downregulated after spermiation or spawning. Collectively, the amphioxus Kiss-Kissr system has a correlation with the regulation of reproduction. Our studies provide insights into the functional roles and evolutionary history of the Kiss-Kissr system, as well as the origin of the vertebrate neuroendocrine axis for controlling reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Wang
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Meng Wang
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Guangdong Ji
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Shuangshuang Yang
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Shicui Zhang
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Zhenhui Liu
- Laboratory for Evolution & Development, Institute of Evolution & Marine Biodiversity, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
- Department of Marine Biology, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
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20
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Abstract
Kisspeptins are a group of peptide fragments encoded by the KISS1 gene in humans. They bind to kisspeptin receptors with equal efficacy. Kisspeptins and their receptors are expressed by neurons in the arcuate and anteroventral periventricular nuclei of the hypothalamus. Oestrogen mediates negative feedback of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone secretion via the arcuate nucleus. Conversely, it exerts positive feedback via the anteroventral periventricular nucleus. The sexual dimorphism of these nuclei accounts for the differential behaviour of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis between genders. Kisspeptins are essential for reproductive function. Puberty is regulated by the maturation of kisspeptin neurons and by interactions between kisspeptins and leptin. Hence, kisspeptins have potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Kisspeptin agonists may be used to localise lesions in cases of hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis dysfunction and evaluate the gonadotrophic potential of subfertile individuals. Kisspeptin antagonists may be useful as contraceptives in women, through the prevention of premature luteinisation during in vitro fertilisation, and in the treatment of sex steroid-dependent diseases and metastatic cancers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eng Loon Tng
- Associate Consultant, Department of Medicine, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, 1 Jurong East Street 21, Singapore 609606
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21
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Millar RP, Babwah AV. KISS1R: Hallmarks of an Effective Regulator of the Neuroendocrine Axis. Neuroendocrinology 2015; 101:193-210. [PMID: 25765628 DOI: 10.1159/000381457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2014] [Accepted: 03/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Kisspeptin (KP) is now well recognized as a potent stimulator of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion and thereby a major regulator of the neuroendocrine-reproductive axis. KP signals via KISS1R, a G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) that activates the G proteins Gαq/11. Modulation of the interaction of KP with KISS1R is therefore a potential new therapeutic target for stimulating (in infertility) or inhibiting (in hormone-dependent diseases) the reproductive hormone cascade. Major efforts are underway to target KISS1R in the treatment of sex steroid hormone-dependent disorders and to stimulate endogenous hormonal responses along the neuroendocrine axis as part of in vitro fertilization protocols. The development of analogs modulating KISS1R signaling will be aided by an understanding of the intracellular pathways and dynamics of KISS1R signaling under normal and pathological conditions. This review focuses on KISS1R recruitment of intracellular signaling (Gαq/11- and β-arrestin-dependent) pathways that mediate GnRH secretion and the respective roles of rapid desensitization, internalization, and recycling of resensitized receptors in maintaining an active population of KISS1R at the cell surface to facilitate prolonged KP signaling. Additionally, this review summarizes and discusses the major findings of an array of studies examining the desensitization of KP signaling in man, domestic and laboratory animals. This discussion highlights the major effects of ligand efficacy and concentration and the physiological, developmental, and metabolic status of the organism on KP signaling. Finally, the potential for the utilization of KP and analogs in stimulating and inhibiting the reproductive hormone cascade as an alternative to targeting the downstream GnRH receptor is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert P Millar
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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22
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Jiang Q, He M, Ko WKW, Wong AOL. Kisspeptin induction of somatolactin-α release in goldfish pituitary cells: functional role of cAMP/PKA-, PLC/PKC-, and Ca(2+)/calmodulin-dependent cascades. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2014; 307:E872-84. [PMID: 25184991 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00321.2014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Although the importance of kisspeptin in the pituitary is firmly established, the signaling mechanisms for the pituitary actions of kisspeptin are still largely unknown. Somatolactin (SL), a member of the growth hormone (GH)/prolactin (PRL) family, is a pituitary hormone with pleiotropic functions in fish, but its regulation by kisspeptin has not been examined. To investigate the functional role of kisspeptin in SL regulation, expression of two paralogues of goldfish Kiss1 receptors (Kiss1ra and Kiss1rb) were confirmed in immunoidentified SLα but not SLβ cells isolated by RT-PCR coupled with laser capture microdissection. In goldfish pituitary cells prepared from neurointermediate lobe (NIL), synthetic goldfish Kiss decapeptides (gKiss1-10 and gKiss2-10) could increase SLα release. Consistent with the lack of Kiss1r expression in SLβ cells, SLβ release was not altered by kisspeptin stimulation. In parallel experiments, goldfish gKiss1-10 could elevate cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) production, upregulate protein kinase A (PKA) and protein kinase C (PKC) activities, and trigger a rapid rise in intracellular Ca(2+) levels in goldfish NIL cells. Using a pharmacological approach, cAMP/PKA and phospholipase C (PLC)/PKC pathways and subsequent activation of Ca(2+)/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent cascades were shown to be involved in SLα release induced by gKiss1-10. Apparently, the Ca(2+)-dependent cascades were triggered by extracellular Ca(2+) entry via voltage-sensitive Ca(2+) channels and mobilization of inositol trisphosphate-sensitive intracellular Ca(2+) stores. Our results demonstrate that gKiss1-10 can act directly at the pituitary level to trigger SLα release via a complex network of post-receptor signaling mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-resources and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; and
| | - Mulan He
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Wendy K W Ko
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Anderson O L Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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23
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Yan X, Yuan C, Zhao N, Cui Y, Liu J. Prenatal androgen excess enhances stimulation of the GNRH pulse in pubertal female rats. J Endocrinol 2014; 222:73-85. [PMID: 24829217 DOI: 10.1530/joe-14-0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In adolescent girls with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), neuroendocrine derangements manifest after the onset of puberty, characterized by rapid LH pulse frequency. The early mechanism underlying the pubertal regulation of the GNRH/LH pulsatile release in adolescents with PCOS remains uncertain. To determine the effects of prenatal androgen exposure on the activation of GNRH neurons and generation of LH pulse at puberty, we administrated 5α-dihydrotestosterone to pregnant rats and observed serum LH levels and expression of hypothalamic genes in female offspring from postnatal 4 to 8 weeks. The 6-week-old prenatally androgenized (PNA) female rats exhibited an increase in LH pulse frequency. The hypothalamic expression of neurokinin B (Nkb (Tac2)) and Lepr mRNA levels in PNA rats increased remarkably before puberty and remained high during puberty, whereas elevated Kiss1 mRNA levels were detected only after the onset of puberty. Exogenous kisspeptin, NK3R agonist, and leptin triggered tonic stimulation of GNRH neurons and increased LH secretion in 6-week-old PNA rats. Leptin upregulated Kiss1 mRNA levels in the hypothalamus of pubertal PNA rats; however, pretreatment with a kisspeptin antagonist failed to suppress the elevated serum LH stimulated by leptin, indicating that the stimulatory effects of leptin may be conveyed indirectly to GNRH neurons via other neural components within the GNRH neuronal network, rather than through the kisspeptin-GPR54 pathway. These findings validate the hypotheses that NKB and leptin play an essential role in the activation of GNRH neurons and initiation of increased LH pulse frequency in PNA female rats at puberty and that kisspeptin may coordinate their stimulatory effects on LH release.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaonan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive MedicineClinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, ChinaXuzhou Medical CollegeClinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Xuzhou 221000, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Reproductive MedicineClinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, ChinaXuzhou Medical CollegeClinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Xuzhou 221000, China
| | - Chun Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive MedicineClinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, ChinaXuzhou Medical CollegeClinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Xuzhou 221000, China
| | - Nannan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive MedicineClinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, ChinaXuzhou Medical CollegeClinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Xuzhou 221000, China
| | - Yugui Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive MedicineClinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, ChinaXuzhou Medical CollegeClinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Xuzhou 221000, China
| | - Jiayin Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive MedicineClinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, ChinaXuzhou Medical CollegeClinical Center of Reproductive Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Xuzhou 221000, China
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24
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Sliwowska JH, Fergani C, Gawałek M, Skowronska B, Fichna P, Lehman MN. Insulin: its role in the central control of reproduction. Physiol Behav 2014; 133:197-206. [PMID: 24874777 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Revised: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 05/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Insulin has long been recognized as a key regulator of energy homeostasis via its actions at the level of the brain, but in addition, plays a role in regulating neural control of reproduction. In this review, we consider and compare evidence from animal models demonstrating a role for insulin for physiological control of reproduction by effects on GnRH/LH secretion. We also review the role that insulin plays in prenatal programming of adult reproduction, and consider specific candidate neurons in the adult hypothalamus by which insulin may act to regulate reproductive function. Finally, we review clinical evidence of the role that insulin may play in adult human fertility and reproductive disorders. Overall, while insulin appears to have a significant impact on reproductive neuroendocrine function, there are many unanswered questions regarding its precise sites and mechanisms of action, and their impact on developing and adult reproductive neuroendocrine function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna H Sliwowska
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Institute of Zoology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, ul. Wojska Polskiego 71 C, 60-625 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Chrysanthi Fergani
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39232, USA.
| | - Monika Gawałek
- Laboratory of Neurobiology, Institute of Zoology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, ul. Wojska Polskiego 71 C, 60-625 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Bogda Skowronska
- Department of Pediatric Diabetes and Obesity, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Szpitalna Str. 27/33, 60-572 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Piotr Fichna
- Department of Pediatric Diabetes and Obesity, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Szpitalna Str. 27/33, 60-572 Poznan, Poland.
| | - Michael N Lehman
- Department of Neurobiology and Anatomical Sciences, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS 39232, USA.
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25
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Ladyman SR, Woodside B. Food restriction during lactation suppresses Kiss1 mRNA expression and kisspeptin-stimulated LH release in rats. Reproduction 2014; 147:743-51. [PMID: 24492858 DOI: 10.1530/rep-13-0426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Among the numerous physiological changes that accompany lactation is the suppression of the reproductive axis. The aim of this study was to investigate a possible role for the kisspeptin system in the restoration of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis during late lactation in rats using a food restriction model that allows manipulation of the duration of lactational anovulation. Kiss1 mRNA expression and kisspeptin-immunoreactive cell counts were examined in both food-restricted dams and ad libitum (AL)-fed dams across late lactation when LH concentrations begin to increase. In the arcuate nucleus, Kiss1 mRNA expression and kisspeptin-positive cell counts were suppressed during late lactation. In the anteroventral periventricular (AVPV), day 15 food-restricted dams had significantly lower AVPV Kiss1 mRNA expression and a decreased LH response to exogenous kisspeptin compared with the AL-fed dams. Following 5 days of ad libitum food intake, these values were restored to levels similar to those in dams that had been fed ad libitum throughout lactation. In conclusion, this study shows that delayed restoration of the reproductive axis due to food restriction is associated with a decrease in kisspeptin sensitivity and low AVPV Kiss1 mRNA in late lactation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon R Ladyman
- Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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26
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Yamamura T, Wakabayashi Y, Sakamoto K, Matsui H, Kusaka M, Tanaka T, Ohkura S, Okamura H. The effects of chronic subcutaneous administration of an investigational kisspeptin analog, TAK-683, on gonadotropin-releasing hormone pulse generator activity in goats. Neuroendocrinology 2014; 100:250-64. [PMID: 25428554 DOI: 10.1159/000369819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The continuous activation of the kisspeptin receptor by its agonists causes the abrogation of kisspeptin signaling, leading to decreased pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion. Employing this phenomenon as a tool for probing kisspeptin action, this study aimed to clarify the role of kisspeptin in gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) pulse generation in goats. We examined the effects of chronic administration of TAK-683, an investigational kisspeptin analog, on LH secretion, GnRH immunostaining, pituitary responses to exogenous GnRH, and GnRH pulse generator activity, reflected by a characteristic increase in multiple-unit activity (MUA volley). An osmotic pump containing TAK-683 was subcutaneously implanted on day 0. TAK-683 treatment dose-dependently suppressed pulsatile LH secretion on day 1. Higher doses of chronic TAK-683 profoundly suppressed pulsatile LH secretion but had little effect on GnRH immunostaining patterns and pituitary responses to GnRH on day 5. In ovariectomized goats, MUA volleys occurred at approximately every 30 min on day -1. On day 5 of chronic TAK-683 administration, pulsatile LH secretion was markedly suppressed, whereas MUA volleys were similar to those observed on day -1. Male pheromones and senktide (neurokinin B receptor agonist) induced an MUA volley but had no effect on LH secretion during chronic TAK-683 administration. The results indicate that the chronic administration of a kisspeptin analog profoundly suppresses pulsatile LH secretion without affecting GnRH content, pituitary function or GnRH pulse generator activity, and they suggest an indispensable role for kisspeptin signaling in the cascade driving GnRH/LH pulses by the GnRH pulse generator.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takashi Yamamura
- Animal Physiology Research Unit, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Japan
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Novaira HJ, Sonko ML, Hoffman G, Koo Y, Ko C, Wolfe A, Radovick S. Disrupted kisspeptin signaling in GnRH neurons leads to hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. Mol Endocrinol 2014; 28:225-38. [PMID: 24422632 DOI: 10.1210/me.2013-1319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Landmark studies have shown that mutations in kisspeptin and the kisspeptin receptor (Kiss1r) result in reproductive dysfunction in humans and genetically altered mouse models. However, because kisspeptin and its receptor are present in target cells of the central and peripheral reproductive axis, the precise location(s) for the pathogenic signal is unknown. The study described herein shows that the kisspeptin-Kiss1r signaling pathway in the GnRH neuron is singularly critical for both the onset of puberty as well as the attainment of normal reproductive function. In this study, we directly test the hypothesis that kisspeptin neurons regulate GnRH secretion through the activation of Kiss1r on the plasma membrane of GnRH neurons. A GnRH neuron-specific Kiss1r knockout mouse model (GKirKO) was generated, and reproductive development and phenotype were assessed. Both female and male GKirKO mice were infertile, having low serum LH and FSH levels. External abnormalities such as microphallus and decreased anogenital distance associated with failure of preputial gland separation were present in GKirKO males. A delay in pubertal onset and abnormal estrous cyclicity were observed in female GKirKO mice. Taken together, these data provide in vivo evidence that Kiss1r in GnRH neurons is critical for reproductive development and fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Horacio J Novaira
- Department of Pediatrics (H.J.N., M.L.S., A.W., S.R.), Division of Endocrinology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287; Department of Biology (G.H.), Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland 21251; School of Biological Sciences (Y.K.), Inje University, Gimhae, 621-749, South Korea; and University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana (C.K.), Champaign, Illinois 61820
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Okamura H, Tsukamura H, Ohkura S, Uenoyama Y, Wakabayashi Y, Maeda KI. Kisspeptin and GnRH pulse generation. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 784:297-323. [PMID: 23550012 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6199-9_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
The reproductive neuropeptide gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) has two modes of secretion. Besides the surge mode, which induces ovulation in females, the pulse mode of GnRH release is essential to cause various reproductive events in both sexes, such as spermatogenesis, follicular development, and sex steroid synthesis. Some environmental cues control gonadal activities through modulating GnRH pulse frequency. Researchers have looked for the anatomical location of the mechanism generating GnRH pulses, the GnRH pulse generator, in the brain, because an artificial manipulation of GnRH pulse frequency is of therapeutic importance to stimulate or suppress gonadal activity. Discoveries of kisspeptin and, consequently, KNDy (kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin) neurons in the hypothalamus have provided a clue to the possible location of the GnRH pulse generator. Our analyses of hypothalamic multiple-unit activity revealed that KNDy neurons located in the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus might play a central role in the generation of GnRH pulses in goats, and perhaps other mammalian species. This chapter further discusses the possible mechanisms for GnRH pulse generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroaki Okamura
- National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan.
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Sanchez-Garrido MA, Tena-Sempere M. Metabolic control of puberty: roles of leptin and kisspeptins. Horm Behav 2013; 64:187-94. [PMID: 23998663 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2012] [Revised: 12/24/2012] [Accepted: 01/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Puberty and Adolescence". Reproduction is an energy-demanding function. Accordingly, puberty is metabolically gated, as a means to prevent fertility in conditions of energy insufficiency. In addition, obesity has been shown to impact the timing of puberty and may be among the causes for the earlier trends of pubertal age reported in various countries. The metabolic control of puberty in such a spectrum of situations, ranging from energy deficit to extreme overweight, is the result of the concerted action of different peripheral hormones and central transmitters that sense the metabolic state of the organism and transmit this information to the various elements of the reproductive axis, mainly the GnRH neurons. Among the peripheral signals involved, the adipose hormone, leptin, is known to play an essential role in the regulation of puberty, especially in females. Yet, although it is clear that the effects of leptin on puberty onset are predominantly permissive and mainly conducted at central (hypothalamic) levels, the primary sites and mechanisms of action of leptin within the reproductive brain remain unsolved. In this context, neurons expressing kisspeptins, the products of the Kiss1 gene that have emerged recently as essential upstream regulators of GnRH neurons, operate as key sensors of the metabolic state and funnel of the reproductive effects of leptin. Yet, much debate has arisen recently on whether the putative actions of leptin on the Kiss1 system are actually indirect and/or may primarily target Kiss1-independent pathways, such as those originating from the ventral premmamilary nucleus. Moreover, evidence has been presented for extra-hypothalamic or peripheral actions of leptin, including direct gonadal effects, which may contribute to the metabolic control of reproduction in extreme body weight conditions. In this work, we will critically review the experimental evidence supporting a role of leptin, kisspeptin and putatively related pathways in the concerted control of puberty by energy balance and metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel A Sanchez-Garrido
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba, CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
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Caraty A, Lomet D, Sébert ME, Guillaume D, Beltramo M, Evans NP. Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone release into the hypophyseal portal blood of the ewe mirrors both pulsatile and continuous intravenous infusion of kisspeptin: an insight into kisspeptin's mechanism of action. J Neuroendocrinol 2013; 25:537-46. [PMID: 23387514 DOI: 10.1111/jne.12030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2012] [Revised: 01/24/2013] [Accepted: 01/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that kisspeptin (Kp) administration, given as a slow constant infusion of Kp10 (the shortest endogenous form of the Kp molecules which carries biological activity), is able to stimulate gonadotrophin secretion and induce ovulation in anoestrus acyclic ewes. Detailed analysis of peripheral luteinising hormone (LH) concentrations, obtained at 10-min intervals, suggested that this Kp10 treatment induced the continuous release of gonadotrophins. Whether this apparent constant secretion of LH resulted from a continuous elevation of GnRH or discrete high-frequency pulses could not be determined. In the present study, we monitored the patterns of gonadotrophin-releasing homrone (GnRH) secreted into hypophyseal portal blood (HPB) and LH in the peripheral circulation when Kp10 was administered either as discrete pulses or by means of a continuous infusion. Samples of HPB and peripheral blood were obtained at 2 and 10-min intervals, respectively, over a 6-h period, from anoestrous acyclic ewes that received an i.v. bolus injection of Kp10 at 1 h and an infusion of Kp10 between hours 2 and 6. GnRH release following Kp10 administration appeared to be dose-dependent, with larger responses being seen to the 20 μg bolus and 20 μg/h infusion than to the 10 μg bolus and 10 μg/h infusion, with the latter being marginally effective in inducing LH release. Bolus injections of Kp10 (either 20 or 10 μg) induced a sharp GnRH pulse in HPB and a discrete LH pulse in peripheral blood. By contrast, constant infusion of Kp10 (either 20 or 10 μg/h for 4 h) induced a sustained increase in baseline GnRH secretion with no convincing evidence of strictly episodic release. Values remained continuously elevated in HPB. No sign of pituitary desensitisation was observed at either concentration. Finally, i.v. injection of a large bolus (500 μg) of Kp10 produced immediate pharmacological concentrations of Kp10 in the peripheral circulation but were not associated with detectable levels of the peptide in the cerebrospinal fluid. In summary, our results demonstrate that the mode of Kp10 administration (pulsatile versus continuous) is important in shaping the pattern of GnRH secretion and suggests that this regulatory effect is most likely exerted at the level of the terminals of GnRH neurones. Moreover our data also suggest that Kp is involved in, rather than having a permissive role in, the control of endogenous GnRH pulsatility.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Caraty
- UMR 7247, Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRA/CNRS/Université Tours/Haras Nationaux, Nouzilly, France.
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Bianco SDC, Kaiser UB. Molecular biology of the kisspeptin receptor: signaling, function, and mutations. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 784:133-58. [PMID: 23550005 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6199-9_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Kisspeptin receptor (KISS1R) signaling is essential for the hallmark increase in pulsatile GnRH secretion characteristic of the onset of puberty in humans and experimental animals. Loss-of-function mutations in KISS1R are associated with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in humans. Also, mutations with confirmed association with idiopathic central precocious puberty were identified in kisspeptin and KISS1R. These observations underscore the role of KISS1R signaling for normal pubertal development. Moreover, investigation of the mechanisms underlying the gain-of-function mutation in KISS1R indicates that the duration of KISS1R signaling is critical for the role of this receptor in timing the onset of puberty in humans. These findings further endorse the need to uncover the mechanisms, as well as yet-unknown proteins, involved in each step of KISS1R signaling. This knowledge is expected to advance our understanding of normal and abnormal pubertal development, as well as to help uncover the role of KISS1R signaling in non-hypothalamic tissues such as the placenta. This chapter discusses recent advances in the investigation of KISS1R signaling and function, as well as potential pathophysiological implications of naturally occurring mutations in this receptor identified in humans with reproductive disorders.
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Aguilar E, Pineda R, Gaytán F, Sánchez-Garrido MA, Romero M, Romero-Ruiz A, Ruiz-Pino F, Tena-Sempere M, Pinilla L. Characterization of the reproductive effects of the Vgf-derived peptide TLQP-21 in female rats: in vivo and in vitro studies. Neuroendocrinology 2013; 98:38-50. [PMID: 23485923 DOI: 10.1159/000350323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2012] [Accepted: 02/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND VGF (non-acronymic), a protein expressed in the hypothalamus and pituitary, is involved in the control of metabolism and body weight homeostasis. Different active peptide fragments are generated from VGF, including TLQP-21. Previous studies of our group reported that this molecule participates also in the regulation of reproductive function in male rats, with predominant stimulatory effects. METHODS We report herein a series of studies on the reproductive effects of TLQP-21 in female rats, as evaluated by a combination of in vivo and in vitro analyses. RESULTS TLQP-21 modestly increased serum LH levels after systemic administration and directly stimulated pituitary LH and FSH secretion in prepubertal female rats, while acute central injection of TLQP-21 was unable to modify LH secretion at this age. Repeated central administration of TLQP-21 during the pubertal transition (between PND-28 and -35) to female rats fed ad libitum advanced the timing of vaginal opening and increased the percentage of animals with signs of ovulation. Moreover, an analogous treatment slightly enhanced ovarian maturation in pubertal female rats subjected to chronic undernutrition, but was unable to rescue the delay of vaginal opening induced by food deprivation. In addition, TLQP-21 oppositely modified LH secretion in adult female rats depending on the stage of the ovarian cycle: it stimulated LH secretion when injected in the morning of diestrus and decreased the magnitude of the preovulatory LH (but not FSH) surge when injected in the afternoon of proestrus. CONCLUSIONS Our data are the first to document the potential involvement of TLQP-21 in the control of reproductive function in female rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Aguilar
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Córdoba, CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, and Instituto Maimónides de Investigaciones Biomédicas-IMIBIC/Hospital Reina Sofía, Córdoba, Spain
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Chan YM. Effects of kisspeptin on hormone secretion in humans. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 784:89-112. [PMID: 23550003 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6199-9_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Studies of the actions of kisspeptin in human subjects have examined the effects of different kisspeptin isoforms, doses, and routes of administration on LH secretion, a surrogate measure of GnRH release. These studies, in addition to detailing how these different variables affect LH secretion in response to kisspeptin, have produced new insights into kisspeptin physiology: (1) Brief exposure to kisspeptin results in sustained GnRH release lasting ~17 min in men. (2) Women in different phases of the menstrual cycle have differences in their response to kisspeptin, suggesting that endogenous kisspeptin secretion and GnRH neuronal responsiveness vary in response to the changing sex-steroid environment across the menstrual cycle. (3) Kisspeptin resets the GnRH pulse generator in men, but does not appear to do so in women. (4) Continuous exposure to kisspeptin results in desensitization to kisspeptin, and thus kisspeptin has the potential to either stimulate or suppress reproductive endocrine activity depending on the mode of administration. These findings pave the way for future studies using kisspeptin as a physiologic, diagnostic, and therapeutic tool in both healthy adults and in patients with reproductive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yee-Ming Chan
- Department of Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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The effects of kisspeptin on gonadotropin release in non-human mammals. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 784:63-87. [PMID: 23550002 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6199-9_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The Kiss1 gene encodes a 145-amino acid pre-peptide, kisspeptin, which is cleaved into smaller peptides of 54, 14, 13, and 10 amino acids. This chapter reviews in detail the effects of kisspeptin on gonadotropin secretion in non-human mammals. Studies of kisspeptin's effects have included both acute and chronic administration regimens via a number of administration routes. Acute kisspeptin stimulates gonadotropin secretion in a wide range of species of non-human mammals, including rats, mice, hamsters, sheep, pigs, goats, cows, horses, and monkeys. In general, the stimulatory effect of kisspeptin treatment is more pronounced for LH than FSH secretion. Kisspeptin is thought to exert its stimulatory effects on LH and FSH release via stimulation of GnRH release from the hypothalamus, since pre--administration of a GnRH antagonist prevents kisspeptin's stimulation of gonadotropin secretion. Although the kisspeptin receptor is also expressed on anterior pituitary cells of some species, and incubation of anterior pituitary cells with high concentrations of kisspeptin can stimulate in vitro LH release, the contribution of direct effects of kisspeptin on the pituitary is thought to be negligible in vivo. Continuous kisspeptin administration results in reduced sensitivity to the effects of kisspeptin, in some species. This desensitization is thought to occur at the level of the kisspeptin receptor, since the response of the pituitary gland to exogenous GnRH is maintained. Overall, the findings discussed in this chapter are invaluable to the understanding of the reproductive role of kisspeptin and the potential therapeutic uses of kisspeptin for the treatment of fertility disorders.
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Clarke IJ, Caraty A. Kisspeptin and seasonality of reproduction. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 784:411-30. [PMID: 23550017 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6199-9_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Wild and domesticated species display seasonality in reproductive function, controlled predominantly by photoperiod. Seasonal alterations in breeding status are caused by changes in the secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) that are mediated by upstream neuronal afferents that regulate the GnRH cells. In particular, kisspeptin appears to play a major role in seasonality of reproduction, transducing the feedback effect of gonadal steroids as well as having an independent (nonsteroid dependent) circannual rhythm. A substantial body of data on this issue has been obtained from studies in sheep and hamsters and this is reviewed here in detail. Kisspeptin function is upregulated during the breeding season in sheep, stimulating reproductive function, but contradictory data are found in Siberian and Syrian hamsters. The relative quiescence of kisspeptin cells in the nonbreeding season can be counteracted by administration of the peptide, leading to activation of reproductive function. Although there is a major role for melatonin in the transduction of photoperiod to the reproductive system, kisspeptin cells do not appear to express the melatonin receptor, so the means by which seasonality changes the level of kisspeptin activity remains unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iain J Clarke
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Australia.
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36
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Castellano JM, Tena-Sempere M. Metabolic Regulation of Kisspeptin. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 784:363-83. [DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6199-9_17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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García-Galiano D, Pineda R, Roa J, Ruiz-Pino F, Sánchez-Garrido MA, Castellano JM, Aguilar E, Navarro VM, Pinilla L, Tena-Sempere M. Differential modulation of gonadotropin responses to kisspeptin by aminoacidergic, peptidergic, and nitric oxide neurotransmission. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2012; 303:E1252-63. [PMID: 23011064 DOI: 10.1152/ajpendo.00250.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Kisspeptins (Kp), products of the Kiss1 gene, have emerged as essential elements in the control of GnRH neurons and gonadotropic secretion. However, despite considerable progress in the field, to date limited attention has been paid to elucidate the potential interactions of Kp with other neurotransmitters known to centrally regulate the gonadotropic axis. We characterize herein the impact of manipulations of key aminoacidergic (glutamate and GABA), peptidergic (NKB, Dyn, and MCH), and gaseous [nitric oxide (NO)] neurotransmission on gonadotropin responses to Kp-10 in male rats. Blockade of ionotropic glutamate receptors (of the NMDA and non-NMDA type) variably decreased LH responses to Kp-10, whereas activation of both ionotropic and metabotropic receptors, which enhanced LH and FSH release per se, failed to further increase gonadotropin responses to Kp-10. In fact, coactivation of metabotropic receptors attenuated LH and FSH responses to Kp-10. Selective activation of GABA(A) receptors decreased Kp-induced gonadotropin secretion, whereas their blockade elicited robust LH and FSH bursts and protracted responses to Kp-10 when combined with GABA(B) receptor inhibition. Blockade of Dyn signaling (at κ-opioid receptors) enhanced LH responses to Kp-10, whereas activation of Dyn and NKB signaling modestly reduced Kp-induced LH and FSH release. Finally, MCH decreased basal LH secretion and modestly reduced FSH responses to Kp-10, whereas LH responses to Kp-10 were protracted after inhibition of NO synthesis. In summary, we present herein evidence for the putative roles of glutamate, GABA, Dyn, NKB, MCH, and NO in modulating gonadotropic responses to Kp in male rats. Our pharmacological data will help to characterize the central interactions and putative hierarchy of key neuroendocrine pathways involved in the control of the gonadotropic axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- David García-Galiano
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Cordoba, Spain
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Abstract
The discovery that kisspeptin was critical for normal fertility in humans ushered in a new chapter in our understanding of the control of GnRH secretion. In this paper, we will review recent data on the similarities and differences across several mammalian species in the role of kisspeptin in reproductive neuroendocrinology. In all mammals examined to date, there is strong evidence that kisspeptin plays a key role in the onset of puberty and is necessary for both tonic and surge secretion of GnRH in adults, although kisspeptin-independent systems are also apparent in these studies. Similarly, two groups of kisspeptin neurons, one in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and the other more rostrally, have been identified in all mammals, although the latter is concentrated in a limited area in rodents and more scattered in other species. Estrogen has divergent actions on kisspeptin expression in these two regions across these species, stimulating it the latter and inhibiting expression in the former. There is also strong evidence that the rostral population participates in the GnRH surge, whereas the ARC population contributes to steroid-negative feedback. There may be species differences in the role of these two populations in puberty, with the ARC cells important in rats, sheep, and monkeys, whereas both have been implicated in mice. ARC kisspeptin neurons also appear to participate in the GnRH surge in sheep and guinea pigs, whereas the data on this possibility in rodents are contradictory. Similarly, both populations are sexually dimorphic in sheep and humans, whereas most data in rodents indicate that this occurs only in the rostral population. The functional consequences of these species differences remain to be fully elucidated but are likely to have significance for understanding normal neuroendocrine control of reproduction as well as for use of kisspeptin agonists/antagonists as a therapeutic tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert L Goodman
- Department of Physiology, Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, West Virginia 26506, USA
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Ni Y, Huang Y, Xiao Y, Wu J, Qian F, Grossmann R, Zhao R. Effects of repeated injection of kisspeptin-10 on the initiation of egg-laying in juvenile quail. Anim Reprod Sci 2012; 134:203-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2012.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2012] [Revised: 08/07/2012] [Accepted: 08/11/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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George JT, Anderson RA, Millar RP. Kisspeptin-10 stimulation of gonadotrophin secretion in women is modulated by sex steroid feedback. Hum Reprod 2012; 27:3552-9. [DOI: 10.1093/humrep/des326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Chan YM, Butler JP, Sidhoum VF, Pinnell NE, Seminara SB. Kisspeptin administration to women: a window into endogenous kisspeptin secretion and GnRH responsiveness across the menstrual cycle. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2012; 97:E1458-67. [PMID: 22577171 PMCID: PMC3410261 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2012-1282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Kisspeptin is the most powerful known stimulus of GnRH-induced LH secretion across mammalian species. However, the effects of kisspeptin are just being explored, and the dynamics of kisspeptin responsiveness across the menstrual cycle are incompletely understood. OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to characterize the effects of kisspeptin on GnRH secretion in healthy women in different phases of the menstrual cycle. PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTION Ten women in the early follicular phase, three women in the late follicular (preovulatory) phase, and 14 women in the midluteal phase received a bolus of kisspeptin 112-121 0.24 nmol/kg iv. An additional four women in the early to midfollicular phase received kisspeptin 112-121 0.72 nmol/kg iv. RESULTS The response to kisspeptin varied depending on the phase of the menstrual cycle. LH pulses were observed immediately after kisspeptin administration in all luteal and preovulatory women. However, only half the women in the early follicular phase had unambiguous kisspeptin responses. Increasing the kisspeptin dose did not increase the LH response in early to midfollicular phase women. Kisspeptin did not appear to reset the GnRH pulse generator in women as it does in men. CONCLUSIONS Differences in responses to exogenous kisspeptin across the menstrual cycle suggest that kisspeptin tone is higher in the early follicular phase compared with other cycle phases. The mechanisms that determine the timing of GnRH pulse generation in men and women appear to be distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yee-Ming Chan
- Harvard Reproductive Sciences Center and Reproductive Endocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA.
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Caraty A, Decourt C, Briant C, Beltramo M. Kisspeptins and the reproductive axis: potential applications to manage reproduction in farm animals. Domest Anim Endocrinol 2012; 43:95-102. [PMID: 22533939 DOI: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2012.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2012] [Revised: 03/13/2012] [Accepted: 03/14/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Kisspeptins (Kp) are a family of neuropeptides produced mainly by two hypothalamic neuronal cell populations. They have recently emerged as a major regulator of the gonadotropin axis and their action is located upstream of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) cell population. In less than 10 yr a growing body of literature has demonstrated the involvement of these peptides in most, if not all, aspects of reproductive axis maturation and function. In contrast to these abundant basic research studies, few experiments have evaluated the potential application of Kp as tools to manipulate reproduction in domestic animals. In mammals, exogenous Kp administration potently stimulates gonadotropin secretion. This action is exerted mainly, if not exclusively, through the stimulation of GnRH release. Intravenous, intraperitoneal, or subcutaneous administration of Kp induced a robust and rapid increase in plasma gonadotropins (luteinizing hormone [LH] and follicle-stimulating hormone [FSH]). However, this stimulatory effect is of short duration. Prolonged LH and FSH release over several hours can be achieved only when Kp are given as repeated multiple bolus or as an infusion. Kp administration was used in two experimental models, ewe and pony mare, with the aim of inducing well-timed and synchronized ovulations. During the breeding season, progesterone-synchronized ewes were given an intravenous infusion of Kp starting 30 h after the removal of progesterone implants. An LH surge was induced in all Kp-treated animals within 2 h of infusion onset. In contrast, in pony mares a constant infusion of Kp for 3 d in the the late follicular phase was unable to induce synchronized ovulation. Another set of studies showed that Kp could be used to activate reproductive function in acyclic animals. Pulsatile administration of Kp in prepubertal ewe lambs was shown to activate ovarian function, leading to enhanced ovarian steroidogenesis, stimulation of LH preovulatory surge, and ovulation. In anestrous ewes, an intravenous infusion of a low dose of Kp induced an immediate and sustained release of gonadotropins, followed a few hours later by an LH surge. This hormonal pattern mimicked hormonal changes normally observed during the estrous cycle follicular phase and was associated with a high percentage of ovulating animals (80%). In summary, exogenous administration of Kp appears to be a new tool to manipulate reproduction. However, optimal doses and periods of treatment should be defined for each species, and the development of powerful analogs or long-term release formulations is necessary before large-scale applications in domestic animals could be envisaged.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Caraty
- Unité Mixte de Recherche 6175, Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements (INRA/CNRS/Université de Tours/Haras Nationaux), Nouzilly, France.
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Pinilla L, Aguilar E, Dieguez C, Millar RP, Tena-Sempere M. Kisspeptins and Reproduction: Physiological Roles and Regulatory Mechanisms. Physiol Rev 2012; 92:1235-316. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00037.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 529] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Procreation is essential for survival of species. Not surprisingly, complex neuronal networks have evolved to mediate the diverse internal and external environmental inputs that regulate reproduction in vertebrates. Ultimately, these regulatory factors impinge, directly or indirectly, on a final common pathway, the neurons producing the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which stimulates pituitary gonadotropin secretion and thereby gonadal function. Compelling evidence, accumulated in the last few years, has revealed that kisspeptins, a family of neuropeptides encoded by the Kiss1 gene and produced mainly by neuronal clusters at discrete hypothalamic nuclei, are pivotal upstream regulators of GnRH neurons. As such, kisspeptins have emerged as important gatekeepers of key aspects of reproductive maturation and function, from sexual differentiation of the brain and puberty onset to adult regulation of gonadotropin secretion and the metabolic control of fertility. This review aims to provide a comprehensive account of the state-of-the-art in the field of kisspeptin physiology by covering in-depth the consensus knowledge on the major molecular features, biological effects, and mechanisms of action of kisspeptins in mammals and, to a lesser extent, in nonmammalian vertebrates. This review will also address unsolved and contentious issues to set the scene for future research challenges in the area. By doing so, we aim to endow the reader with a critical and updated view of the physiological roles and potential translational relevance of kisspeptins in the integral control of reproductive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonor Pinilla
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III; and Instituto Maimónides de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Córdoba, Spain; Department of Physiology, University of Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; and Centre for Integrative Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Enrique Aguilar
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III; and Instituto Maimónides de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Córdoba, Spain; Department of Physiology, University of Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; and Centre for Integrative Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Carlos Dieguez
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III; and Instituto Maimónides de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Córdoba, Spain; Department of Physiology, University of Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; and Centre for Integrative Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Robert P. Millar
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III; and Instituto Maimónides de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Córdoba, Spain; Department of Physiology, University of Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; and Centre for Integrative Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Manuel Tena-Sempere
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III; and Instituto Maimónides de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Córdoba, Spain; Department of Physiology, University of Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; and Centre for Integrative Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Guerriero KA, Keen KL, Terasawa E. Developmental increase in kisspeptin-54 release in vivo is independent of the pubertal increase in estradiol in female rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Endocrinology 2012; 153:1887-97. [PMID: 22315444 PMCID: PMC3320265 DOI: 10.1210/en.2011-1701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Kisspeptin (KP) signaling has been proposed as an important regulator in the mechanism of puberty. In this study, to determine the role of KP in puberty, we assessed the in vivo release pattern of KP-54 from the basal hypothalamus/stalk-median eminence in prepubertal and pubertal ovarian-intact female rhesus monkeys. We found that there was a developmental increase in mean KP-54 release, pulse frequency, and pulse amplitude, which is parallel to the developmental changes in GnRH release that we previously reported. Moreover, a nocturnal increase in KP-54 release becomes prominent after the onset of puberty. Because the pubertal increase in GnRH release occurs independent of the pubertal increase in circulating gonadal steroids, we further examined whether ovariectomy (OVX) modifies the release pattern of KP-54. Results show that OVX in pubertal monkeys enhanced mean KP-54 release and pulse amplitude but not pulse frequency, whereas OVX did not alter the release pattern of KP-54 in prepubertal monkeys. Estradiol replacement in OVX pubertal monkeys suppressed mean KP-54 release and pulse amplitude but not pulse frequency. Estradiol replacement in OVX prepubertal monkeys did not alter the KP-54 release pattern. Collectively these results suggest that the pubertal increase in KP release occurs independent of the pubertal increase in circulating estradiol. Nevertheless, the pubertal increase in KP release is not likely responsible for the initiation of the pubertal increase in GnRH release. Rather, after puberty onset, the increase in KP release contributes to further increase GnRH release during the progression of puberty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn A Guerriero
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53715, USA
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Ramzan F, Qureshi IZ, Ramzan M, Ramzan MH, Ramzan F. Immature rat seminal vesicles show histomorphological and ultrastructural alterations following treatment with kisspeptin-10. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2012; 10:18. [PMID: 22404961 PMCID: PMC3359248 DOI: 10.1186/1477-7827-10-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2011] [Accepted: 03/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Degenerative effects of critical regulators of reproduction, the kisspeptin peptides, on cellular aspects of sexually immature male gonads are known but similar information on accessory sex glands remain elusive. METHODS Prepubertal laboratory rats were injected kisspeptin-10 at three different dosage concentrations (10 pg, 1 ng and 1 microgram) for a period of continuous 12 days at the rate of two doses per day. Control rats were maintained in parallel. The day following the end of the experimental period, seminal vesicles were removed and processed for light and electron microscopic examination using the standard methods. DNA damage was estimated by DNA ladder assay and DNA fragmentation assay. RESULTS The results demonstrated cellular degeneration. Epithelial cell height of seminal vesicles decreased significantly at all doses (P < 0.05). Marked decrease in epithelial folds was readily noticeable, while the lumen was dilated. Ultrastructural changes were characterized by dilatation of endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complex, heterochromatization of nuclei, invagination of nuclear membranes and a decreased number of secretory granules. Percent DNA damage to the seminal vesicle was 19.54 +/- 1.98, 38.06 +/- 2.09 and 58.18 +/- 2.59 at 10 pg, 1 ng and 1 microgram doses respectively. CONCLUSION The study reveals that continuous administration of kisspeptin does not lead to an early maturation but instead severe degeneration of sexually immature seminal vesicles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faiqah Ramzan
- Gomal Centre of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, Gomal University, Dera Ismail Khan 29050, Pakistan
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, 45320 Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Irfan Zia Qureshi
- Laboratory of Animal Physiology, Department of Animal Sciences, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, 45320 Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Ramzan
- Department of Biochemistry, Peshawar Medical College, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | | | - Faiza Ramzan
- Laboratory of Microbiology, Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Quaid-i-Azam University, 45320 Islamabad, Pakistan
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Hausman GJ, Barb CR, Lents CA. Leptin and reproductive function. Biochimie 2012; 94:2075-81. [PMID: 22980196 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2012.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2011] [Accepted: 02/17/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Adipose tissue plays a dynamic role in whole-body energy homeostasis by acting as an endocrine organ. Collective evidence indicates a strong link between neural influences and adipocyte expression and secretion of leptin. Developmental changes in these relationships are considered important for pubertal transition in reproductive function. Leptin augments secretion of gonadotropin hormones, which are essential for initiation and maintenance of normal reproductive function, by acting centrally at the hypothalamus to regulate gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neuronal activity and secretion. The effects of leptin on GnRH are mediated through interneuronal pathways involving neuropeptide-Y, proopiomelanocortin and kisspeptin. Increased infertility associated with diet induced obesity or central leptin resistance are likely mediated through the kisspeptin-GnRH pathway. Furthermore, Leptin regulates reproductive function by altering the sensitivity of the pituitary gland to GnRH and acting at the ovary to regulate follicular and luteal steroidogenesis. Thus leptin serves as a putative signal that links metabolic status with the reproductive axis. The intent of this review is to examine the biological role of leptin with energy metabolism, and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary J Hausman
- USDA, ARS, Richard B. Russell Research Center, RRC, 950 College Station Rd, Athens, GA 30605, USA.
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Li Q, Roa A, Clarke IJ, Smith JT. Seasonal variation in the gonadotropin-releasing hormone response to kisspeptin in sheep: possible kisspeptin regulation of the kisspeptin receptor. Neuroendocrinology 2012; 96:212-21. [PMID: 22343304 DOI: 10.1159/000335998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2011] [Accepted: 12/06/2011] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Kisspeptin signaling in the hypothalamus appears critical for the onset of puberty and driving the reproductive axis. In sheep, reproduction is seasonal, being activated by short days and inhibited by long days. During the non-breeding (anestrous) season, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and gonadotropin secretion is reduced, as is the expression of Kiss1 mRNA in the brain. Conversely, the luteinizing hormone response to kisspeptin during this time is greater. To determine whether the GnRH response to kisspeptin is increased during anestrus, we utilized hypophysial portal blood sampling. In anestrus ewes, the GnRH and LH responses to kisspeptin were greater compared to the breeding season (luteal phase). To ascertain whether this difference reflects a change in Kiss1r, we measured its expression on GnRH neurons using in situ hybridization. The level of Kiss1r was greater during the non-breeding season compared to the breeding season. To further examine the mechanism underlying this change in Kiss1r, we examined Kiss1r/GnRH expression in ovariectomized ewes (controlling for sex steroids) during the breeding and non-breeding seasons, and also ovariectomized non-breeding season ewes with or without estradiol replacement. In both experiments, Kiss1r expression on GnRH neurons was unchanged. Finally, we examined the effect of kisspeptin treatment on Kiss1r. Kiss1r expression on GnRH neurons was reduced by kisspeptin infusion. These studies indicate the kisspeptin response is indeed greater during the non-breeding season and this may be due in part to increased Kiss1r expression on GnRH neurons. We also show that kisspeptin may regulate the expression of its own receptor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qun Li
- Department of Physiology, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
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Bianco SDC. A potential mechanism for the sexual dimorphism in the onset of puberty and incidence of idiopathic central precocious puberty in children: sex-specific kisspeptin as an integrator of puberty signals. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2012; 3:149. [PMID: 23248615 PMCID: PMC3521239 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2012.00149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2011] [Accepted: 11/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The major determinants of the variability in pubertal maturation are reported to be genetic and inherited. Nonetheless, nutritional status contributes significantly to this variability. Malnutrition delays puberty whereas obesity has been associated to a rise in Idiopathic Central Precocious Puberty (ICPP) in girls. However, epidemiology data indicate that contribution of obesity to early puberty varies significantly among ethnic groups, and that obesity-independent inheritable genetic factors are the strongest predictors of early puberty in any ethnic group. In fact, two human mutations with confirmed association to ICPP have been identified in children with no history of obesity. These mutations are in kisspeptin and kisspeptin receptor, a ligand/receptor pair with a major role on the onset of puberty and female cyclicity after puberty. Progressive increases in kisspeptin expression in hypothalamic nuclei known to regulate reproductive function has been associated to the onset of puberty, and hypothalamic expression of kisspeptin is reported to be sexually dimorphic in many species, which include humans. The hypothalamus of females is programmed to express significantly higher levels of kisspeptin than their male counterparts. Interestingly, incidence of ICPP and delayed puberty in children is markedly sexually dimorphic, such that ICPP is at least 10-fold more frequent in females, whereas prevalence of delayed puberty is about 5-fold higher in males. These observations are consistent with a possible involvement of sexually dimorphic kisspeptin signaling in the sexual dimorphism of normal puberty and of pubertal disorders in children of all ethnicities. This review discusses the likelihood of such associations, as well as a potential role of kisspeptin as the converging target of environmental, metabolic, and hormonal signals, which would be integrated in order to optimize reproductive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzy D. C. Bianco
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of MedicineMiami, FL, USA
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of MedicineMiami, FL, USA
- *Correspondence: Suzy D. C. Bianco, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Batchelor Children's Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, BCRI, Suite 607, 1580 NW 10th Avenue, Miami, FL 33136, USA. e-mail:
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