Neuroendocrine control of puberty

Puberty in mammals is a complex process of sexual development which leads to gonadal maturation and the attainment of full reproductive capacity. Puberty begins with the onset of pulsatile GnRH secretion which causes pulses in adenohypophysial luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion, leading to functioning gonads. Puberty is preceeded by deep genetic and epigenetic changes of mediobasal hypothalamic peptidergic signaling. In particular, kisspeptin and neurokinin B signaling seem to play crucial roles in gonadal maturation. Inactivating mutation of the genes encoding these peptides or their G protein-coupled receptors causes pubertal failure and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. This research program uses neuroanatomical, electrophysiological and molecular biology tools to study rodent models and post mortem human hypothalamic tissue samples in an attempt to provide better understanding of the molecular changes in peptidergic systems prior to sexual maturation. Understanding the basic mechanisms of puberty initiation, which is the long-term goal of this research, will help the development of new treatment strategies for human fertility disorders, including precocious, absent or delayed puberty.