| First Author | Wang L | Year | 2019 |
| Journal | Elife | Volume | 8 |
| PubMed ID | 30946012 | Mgi Jnum | J:275205 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6304211 | Doi | 10.7554/eLife.43999 |
| Citation | Wang L, et al. (2019) Genetic dissection of the different roles of hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons in regulating female reproduction. Elife 8:e43999 |
| abstractText | The brain regulates fertility through gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. Estradiol induces negative feedback on pulsatile GnRH/luteinizing hormone (LH) release and positive feedback generating preovulatory GnRH/LH surges. Negative and positive feedbacks are postulated to be mediated by kisspeptin neurons in arcuate and anteroventral periventricular (AVPV) nuclei, respectively. Kisspeptin-specific ERalpha knockout mice exhibit disrupted LH pulses and surges. This knockout approach is neither location-specific nor temporally controlled. We utilized CRISPR-Cas9 to disrupt ERalpha in adulthood. Mice with ERalpha disruption in AVPV kisspeptin neurons have typical reproductive cycles but blunted LH surges, associated with decreased excitability of these neurons. Mice with ERalpha knocked down in arcuate kisspeptin neurons showed disrupted cyclicity, associated with increased glutamatergic transmission to these neurons. These observations suggest that activational effects of estradiol regulate surge generation and maintain cyclicity through AVPV and arcuate kisspeptin neurons, respectively, independent from its role in the development of hypothalamic kisspeptin neurons or puberty onset. |
