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Franssen D, Barroso A, Ruiz-Pino F, Vázquez MJ, García-Galiano D, Castellano JM, Onieva R, Ruiz-Cruz M, Poutanen M, Gaytán F, Diéguez C, Pinilla L, Lopez M, Roa J, Tena-Sempere M. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling in GnRH neurons links energy status and reproduction. Metabolism 2021; 115:154460. [PMID: 33285180 DOI: 10.1016/j.metabol.2020.154460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reproduction is tightly coupled to body energy and metabolic status. GnRH neurons, master elements and final output pathway for the brain control of reproduction, directly or indirectly receive and integrate multiple metabolic cues to regulate reproductive function. Yet, the molecular underpinnings of such phenomenon remain largely unfolded. AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), the fundamental cellular sensor that becomes activated in conditions of energy deficit, has been recently shown to participate in the control of Kiss1 neurons, essential gatekeepers of the reproductive axis, by driving an inhibitory valence in situations of energy scarcity at puberty. However, the contribution of AMPK signaling specifically in GnRH neurons to the metabolic control of reproduction remains unknown. METHODS Double immunohistochemistry (IHC) was applied to evaluate expression of active (phosphorylated) AMPK in GnRH neurons and a novel mouse line, named GAMKO, with conditional ablation of the AMPK α1 subunit in GnRH neurons, was generated. GAMKO mice of both sexes were subjected to reproductive characterization, with attention to puberty and gonadotropic responses to kisspeptin and metabolic stress. RESULTS A vast majority (>95%) of GnRH neurons co-expressed pAMPK. Female (but not male) GAMKO mice displayed earlier puberty onset and exaggerated LH (as surrogate marker of GnRH) responses to kisspeptin-10 at the prepubertal age. In adulthood, GAMKO females retained increased LH responsiveness to kisspeptin and showed partial resilience to the inhibitory effects of conditions of negative energy balance on the gonadotropic axis. The modulatory role of AMPK in GnRH neurons required preserved ovarian function, since the differences in LH pulsatility detected between GAMKO and control mice subjected to fasting were abolished in ovariectomized animals. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, our data document a sex-biased, physiological role of AMPK signaling in GnRH neurons, as molecular conduit of the inhibitory actions of conditions of energy deficit on the female reproductive axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Franssen
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Departament of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, 14004 Cordoba, Spain
| | - A Barroso
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Departament of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - F Ruiz-Pino
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Departament of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - M J Vázquez
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Departament of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - D García-Galiano
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Departament of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, 14004 Cordoba, Spain
| | - J M Castellano
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Departament of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - R Onieva
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Departament of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, 14004 Cordoba, Spain
| | - M Ruiz-Cruz
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Departament of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, 14004 Cordoba, Spain
| | - M Poutanen
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine and Turku Center for Disease Modeling, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - F Gaytán
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Departament of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - C Diéguez
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; NeurObesity Group, Department of Physiology, CIMUS, University of Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - L Pinilla
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Departament of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - M Lopez
- CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; NeurObesity Group, Department of Physiology, CIMUS, University of Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - J Roa
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Departament of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Córdoba, Spain.
| | - M Tena-Sempere
- Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica de Córdoba (IMIBIC), 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Departament of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Cordoba, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Hospital Universitario Reina Sofía, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedicine and Turku Center for Disease Modeling, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
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