Neurons that produce gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) reside in the basal forebrain and drive reproductive function in mammals. Understanding the circuitry that regulates GnRH neurons is fundamental to comprehending the neuroendocrine control of puberty and reproduction in the adult. This review focuses on a family of neuropeptides encoded by the Kiss1 gene, the kisspeptins, and their cogn...

The differential expression and secretion of the neuropeptide kisspeptin from neurons in the arcuate (Arc) and anteroventral periventricular (AVPV) nuclei of the hypothalamus coordinate the temporal release of pituitary gonadotropins that control the female reproductive cycle. However, the molecular basis for this differential regulation is incompletely understood. Here, we report that liver re...

Context Kisspeptin (KISS1), a recently discovered neuropeptide that acts upstream of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons, is critical for maturation and function of the reproductive axis. This review aimed at providing comprehensive and up-to-date information on Kisspeptin and its role in female reproduction. Evidence Acquisition A literature review was performed using PubMed for al...

Several studies have shown that neuropeptide Y (NPY) is considered to be one of the key regulators of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis in the mammals. Also, kisspeptin is a powerful upstream regulator of gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons in the hypothalamus. The present study aims to investigate the effects of the intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of NPY and BIBP3226 (NPY rece...

Reproduction requires adequate energy stores for parents and offspring to survive. Kiss1 neurons, which are essential for fertility, have the potential to serve as the central sensors of metabolic factors that signal to the reproductive axis the presence of stored calories. Paradoxically, obesity is often accompanied by infertility. Despite excess circulating levels of insulin and leptin, obese...

Kisspeptin/G-protein couple receptor-54 (GPR54) system plays a key role in the activation of the gonadotropic axis at puberty. Central precocious puberty (CPP) is caused by the premature activation of hypothalamic gonadotropin-releasing hormone secretion. This study was aimed to identify KISS1 gene variations and to investigate the associations between KISS1 gene variations and CPP in Korean gi...

The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG) is a complex neuroendocrine circuit involving multiple levels of regulation. Kisspeptin neurons play essential roles in controlling the HPG axis from the perspectives of puberty onset, oscillations of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neuron activity, and the pre-ovulatory LH surge. The current studies focus on the expression of kisspeptin durin...

OBJECTIVE Stress is known to be an inhibitor of the reproductive hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. However, the neural and molecular connections between stress and reproduction are not yet understood. It is well established that in both humans and rodents, kisspeptin (encoded by the kiss1 gene) is a strong stimulator of the HPG axis. In the present study we hypothesized that endocannab...

Background/Aims: Hypothalamic hamartomas are the most common identifiable cause of central precocious puberty (CPP). Hamartoma characteristics proposed to be associated with CPP include specific anatomic features and expression of molecules such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), transforming growth factor (TGF ), and GRM1A , which encodes the type 1 metabotropic glutamate receptor isofo...

KiSS1 is a putative melanoma metastasis suppressor gene, the expression of which may be regulated by another gene(s) mapping to chromosome 6q16.3-q23. To additionally elucidate the role of KiSS1 in the progression of human melanoma in vivo, we examined KiSS1 mRNA expression in 51 melanocytic tumors with various stages of progression by in situ hybridization. We also examined a correlation betwe...