Endocrine Abstracts

Puberty is a tightly regulated process by which an individual attains reproductive capability. An intricate network of central and peripheral factors has been described to play a role in this process; however, the mechanism triggering puberty onset remains largely unknown. Recently, the neuropeptides kisspeptin (encoded by Kiss1) and Neurokinin B-NKB- (encoded by TAC3 in humans and Tac2 in rodents) have been placed as essential gatekeepers of puberty onset. Studies in humans a...

Recent studies in various species have pointed out that Neurokinin B (NKB), encoded by Tac2 in rodents, and its receptor, NK3R, are important regulators of reproduction. NKB is co-expressed in Kiss1 neurons of the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and stimulates, via auto-regulatory loops, kisspeptin output onto GnRH neurons, therefore stimulating gonadotropin secretion. However, important aspects of the roles of NKB as regulators of the gonadotropic axis remain unknown. We report here th...