12 research outputs found
Partial Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism Associated with the Leu266Arg and Gln106Arg Mutation of the Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Receptor
Influence of three lighting regimes during ten weeks growth phase on laying performance, plasma levels- and tissue specific gene expression- of reproductive hormones in Pengxian yellow pullets
Stimulation of δ subunit-containing GABAA receptor by DS1 increases GnRH receptor expression but reduces GnRH mRNA expression in GnRH-producing GT1-7 cells
Reproductive traits, behavioral and hormonal changes during breeding season in Egyptian Geese under natural photoperiod
Anti-Müllerian hormone: a new actor of sexual dimorphism in pituitary gonadotrope activity before puberty
Epigenetic control of female puberty
The timing of puberty is controlled by many genes. The elements coordinating this process have not, however, been identified. Here we show that an epigenetic mechanism of transcriptional repression times the initiation of female puberty in rats. We identify silencers of the Polycomb group (PcG) as major contributors to this mechanism, and show that PcG proteins repress Kiss1, a puberty-activating gene. Hypothalamic expression of two key PcG genes, Eed and Cbx7, decreases and methylation of their promoters increases preceding puberty. Inhibiting DNA methylation blocks both events and results in pubertal failure. The pubertal increase in Kiss1 is accompanied by EED loss from the Kiss1 promoter and enrichment of histone H3 modifications associated with gene activation. Preventing the eviction of EED from the Kiss1 promoter disrupts pulsatile GnRH release, delays puberty, and compromises fecundity. Our results identify epigenetic silencing as a novel mechanism underlying the neuroendocrine control of female puberty