PUBLICATION
Development of GnRH cells: Setting the stage for puberty
- Authors
- Whitlock, K.E., Illing, N., Brideau, N.J., Smith, K.M., and Twomey, S.
- ID
- ZDB-PUB-060623-2
- Date
- 2006
- Source
- Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology 254-255: 39-50 (Journal)
- Registered Authors
- Illing, Nicola, Smith, Kalmia, Whitlock, Kate
- Keywords
- Pituitary, Kallmann syndrome, Olfactory, GnRH receptor
- MeSH Terms
-
- Animals
- Brain/embryology
- Embryo, Nonmammalian
- Embryonic Development/physiology*
- Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone/metabolism*
- Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone/physiology
- Humans
- Kallmann Syndrome/embryology
- Kallmann Syndrome/etiology
- Models, Biological
- Sexual Maturation/physiology*
- Stem Cells/metabolism*
- Zebrafish
- PubMed
- 16777316 Full text @ Mol. Cell. Endocrinol.
Citation
Whitlock, K.E., Illing, N., Brideau, N.J., Smith, K.M., and Twomey, S. (2006) Development of GnRH cells: Setting the stage for puberty. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. 254-255:39-50.
Abstract
Cells containing gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) are essential not only for reproduction but also for neuromodulatory functions in the adult animal. A variety of studies have hinted at multiple origins for GnRH-containing cells in the developing embryo. We have shown, using zebrafish as a model system, that GnRH cells originate from precursors lying outside the olfactory placode: the region of the anterior pituitary gives rise to hypothalamic GnRH cells and the cranial neural crest gives rise to the GnRH cells of the terminal nerve and midbrain. Cells of both the forming anterior pituitary and cranial neural crest are closely apposed to the precursors of the olfactory epithelium during early development. Disruption of kallmann gene function results in loss of the hypothalamic but not the terminal nerve GnRH cells during early development. The GnRH proteins are expressed early in development and this expression is mirrored by the onset of GnRH receptor (GnRH-R) expression during early development. Thus the signaling of the GnRH neuronal circuitry is set up early in development laying the foundation for the GnRH network that is activated at puberty leading to reproductive function in the mature animal.
Genes / Markers
Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping