Hypothalamic neurosecretory protein GM causes fat deposition and affects gonadal hormones in Japanese quail
- 1Laboratory of Neurometabolism, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University
- 2Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University
- 3Japanese Avian Bioresource Project Research Center, Hiroshima University
Abstract
Introduction: Central regulation of energy homeostasis is essential for balancing lipid storage and reproductive investment; however, the hypothalamic factors governing this trade-off remain incompletely defined in birds. Neurosecretory protein GM (NPGM), an 83–amino acid hypothalamic factor, was investigated for its role in energy allocation during sexual maturation in Japanese quail ( Coturnix japonica ).
Methods: Male and female quails at the onset of sexual maturation received chronic intracerebroventricular administration of NPGM for 13 days via osmotic pumps, during which their body mass, food intake, and water intake were monitored daily. At the endpoint, peripheral tissue and muscle masses, serum metabolite levels (glucose, fatty acids, triglycerides, testosterone, and 17β-estradiol), hepatic triglyceride content, and gene expression profiles of hypothalamic feeding/reproductive genes and hepatic/adipose lipid metabolic genes were evaluated.
Results: NPGM increased subcutaneous and abdominal fat in both sexes and was associated with affected gonadal parameters: reduced testicular mass relative to body mass and lower testosterone levels in males, and a trend toward reduced ovarian mass and lower 17β-estradiol levels in females. Metabolic phenotypes differed between males and females: males exhibited increased body mass gain, hyperphagia, elevated water intake, enlarged liver, pancreas, and heart, higher serum and hepatic triglyceride levels, increased hepatic SCD1 expression, and reduced hepatic CGI-58 , PPARγ , SLC2A2 , and CD36 . In contrast, females showed fat accumulation without hyperphagia or hepatic triglyceride elevation, accompanied by reduced hepatic VTG2 and APOV1 and decreased adipose ATGL , LPL , and FATP . Hypothalamic AGRP expression decreased in males, whereas both NPY and AGRP decreased in females.
Discussion: These findings demonstrate that central NPGM may shift energy allocation from reproduction toward lipid storage through endocrine and metabolic mechanisms that differ between males and females, identifying NPGM as a neuroendocrine regulator of energy allocation during sexual maturation in Japanese quails.
Related
- Cell-type-specific localization of huntingtin-associated protein 1 in neuroendocrine and neurosecretory systems of the mouse hypothalamic–pituitary axis
- Gender distribution in membership, leadership, and conference participation in the Japanese Society for Hypothalamic and Pituitary Tumors
- Mixture analysis of urinary parabens and their associations with reproductive hormones in iranian women
- Peripartum Androgen-Related Hormones and Anogenital Distance in Preeclampsia: A Cross-Sectional Case-Control Study
- Adiposity and sex steroid hormones: evidence on direct measures and changes over time -- a systematic review and meta-analysis.
BibTeX
@article{kato2026hypothalamic,
title = {{Hypothalamic neurosecretory protein GM causes fat deposition and affects gonadal hormones in Japanese quail}},
author = {Masaki Kato and Eiko Iwakoshi-Ukena and Megumi Furumitsu and Yuki Narimatsu and Chisato Yatsuda and Yoshiaki Nakamura and Kazuyoshi Ukena},
journal = {Frontiers in Neuroscience},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fnins.2026.1980898},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2026.1980898/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Hypothalamic neurosecretory protein GM causes fat deposition and affects gonadal hormones in Japanese quail
AU - Masaki Kato
AU - Eiko Iwakoshi-Ukena
AU - Megumi Furumitsu
AU - Yuki Narimatsu
AU - Chisato Yatsuda
AU - Yoshiaki Nakamura
AU - Kazuyoshi Ukena
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/14
JO - Frontiers in Neuroscience
DO - 10.3389/fnins.2026.1980898
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2026.1980898/full
AB - Introduction: Central regulation of energy homeostasis is essential for balancing lipid storage and reproductive investment; however, the hypothalamic factors governing this trade-off remain incompletely defined in birds. Neurosecretory protein GM (NPGM), an 83–amino acid hypothalamic factor, was investigated for its role in energy allocation during sexual maturation in Japanese quail ( Coturnix japonica ). Methods: Male and female quails at the onset of sexual maturation received chronic intracerebroventricular administration of NPGM for 13 days via osmotic pumps, during which their body mass, food intake, and water intake were monitored daily. At the endpoint, peripheral tissue and muscle masses, serum metabolite levels (glucose, fatty acids, triglycerides, testosterone, and 17β-estradiol), hepatic triglyceride content, and gene expression profiles of hypothalamic feeding/reproductive genes and hepatic/adipose lipid metabolic genes were evaluated. Results: NPGM increased subcutaneous and abdominal fat in both sexes and was associated with affected gonadal parameters: reduced testicular mass relative to body mass and lower testosterone levels in males, and a trend toward reduced ovarian mass and lower 17β-estradiol levels in females. Metabolic phenotypes differed between males and females: males exhibited increased body mass gain, hyperphagia, elevated water intake, enlarged liver, pancreas, and heart, higher serum and hepatic triglyceride levels, increased hepatic SCD1 expression, and reduced hepatic CGI-58 , PPARγ , SLC2A2 , and CD36 . In contrast, females showed fat accumulation without hyperphagia or hepatic triglyceride elevation, accompanied by reduced hepatic VTG2 and APOV1 and decreased adipose ATGL , LPL , and FATP . Hypothalamic AGRP expression decreased in males, whereas both NPY and AGRP decreased in females. Discussion: These findings demonstrate that central NPGM may shift energy allocation from reproduction toward lipid storage through endocrine and metabolic mechanisms that differ between males and females, identifying NPGM as a neuroendocrine regulator of energy allocation during sexual maturation in Japanese quails.
SN - 1662-453X
SN - 1662-4548
ER -