Endocrine Abstracts

Reproduction is a very energy costly function for the organism and, therefore, very tightly regulated by central and peripheral cues that ultimately determine the proper pattern of kisspeptin and GnRH release. Among these, metabolic cues play a critical role in the control of reproductive function, through the interplay of satiety and hunger signals. Further, the interaction between reproductive and metabolic functions is bidirectional, as kisspeptin has also emerged as a nove...

Puberty is a tightly regulated process through which an individual attains reproductive capability. An intricate network of central and peripheral factors play a role in this process; however, the cellular and molecular events that initiate and sustain adult reproductive function remain largely unknown. Recently, kisspeptin (encoded by Kiss1) and neurokinin B (NKB, encoded by TAC3 in humans and Tac2 in rodents) have been shown to be gate-keepers of puberty...

KNDy neurons, which co-express kisspeptins, neurokinin B (NKB) and dynorphin (Dyn), play a key role in the tonic control of gonadotropin secretion by modulating the GnRH release. The assumed KNDy model proposes that NKB and Dyn (as stimulatory and inhibitory signals, respectively) auto-regulate the secretion of kisspeptins onto GnRH neurons. However, some aspects of this paradigm remain poorly defined. In this context, the aims of this work were to characterize i) the putative...

The hypothalamic peptide, nesfatin-1, derived from the precursor NEFA/nucleobindin2 (NUCB2), was recently identified as central anorexigenic molecule, acting in a leptin-independent manner. Yet, its potential involvement in the regulation of other biological functions gated by body energy status remains unexplored. We show herein that NUCB2/nesfatin-1 is involved in the control of female puberty. NUCB2/nesfatin mRNA and protein were detected at the hypothalamus of pubertal fem...