Puberty onset is initiated by activation of neurons that secrete gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). The timing and progression of puberty may depend upon temporal coordination of two opposing central mechanisms--a restraint of GnRH secretion before puberty onset, followed by enhanced stimulation of GnRH release to complete reproductive maturation during puberty. Neuronal estrogen receptor α...

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 rol...

Splice products of the Kiss1 protein (kisspeptins) have been shown to be involved in a diverse range of functions, including puberty, metastasis and vasoconstriction in large human arteries. Circulating Kisspeptin-10 (Kp-10) plasma levels are low in normal individuals but are elevated during various disease states as well as pregnancy. Here, we investigated the potential of Kp-10, the shortest ...

the aims of the present study were to evaluate luteal activity in abadeh ecotype goat during summer and winter and also the effect of a single dose kisspeptin-10 injection on the secretion of luteinizing hormone (lh) in female anestrous goats. in the first study, progesterone (p4) concentration in 10 goats in summer (n = 6) and winter (n = 4) were measured every other day. moreover, in summer g...

Guanine nucleotide binding protein (G-protein)-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are eukaryotic transmembrane proteins found in all living organisms. Their versatility and roles in several physiological processes make them the single largest family of drug targets. Comparative genomic studies using various model organisms have provided useful information about target receptors. The similarity of the ge...

Kisspeptin, a neuropeptide encoded by the KISS1/Kiss1, and its cognate G protein-coupled receptor, GPR54 (kisspeptin receptor, Kiss-R), are critical for the control of reproduction in vertebrates. We have previously identified two kisspeptin genes (kiss1 and kiss2) in the zebrafish, of which kiss1 neurons are located in the habenula, which project to the median raphe. kiss2 neurons are located ...

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons in the basal forebrain are the final common pathway through which the brain regulates reproduction. GnRH secretion occurs in a pulsatile manner, and indirect evidence suggests the kisspeptin neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) serve as the central pacemaker that drives pulsatile GnRH secretion. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possi...

The KiSS-1 gene encodes a family of peptides called kisspeptins, which are endogenous ligands for the G protein-coupled receptor GPR54. Kisspeptin function appears to be critical for GnRH secretion and the initiation of puberty. To test the hypothesis that steroid hormones regulate KiSS-1 mRNA expression in the ewe, we examined the brains of ovary-intact (luteal phase) and ovariectomized (OVX) ...

The neuropeptide kisspeptin and its receptor, KiSS1R, govern the reproductive timeline of mammals by triggering puberty onset and promoting ovulation by stimulating gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion. To overcome the drawback of kisspeptin short half-life we designed kisspeptin analogs combining original modifications, triazole peptidomimetic and albumin binding motif, to reduce p...

Substance P (SP) was recently reported to be expressed in human kisspeptin/neurokinin B/dynorphin (KNDy) neurons and to enhance KNDy neuron excitability in the mouse hypothalamus. We therefore examined (1) interactions of SP and kisspeptin in the mediobasal hypothalamus of adult male rhesus monkeys using immunofluorescence, and (2) the ability of SP to induce LH release in GnRH-primed, agonadal...