Functional interactions between anteroventral periventricular kisspeptin neurons and gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons in female mice.
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
- 2Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
- 3Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
- 4the Reproductive Sciences Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Abstract
Kisspeptin neurons in the rostral hypothalamus are hypothesized to initiate preovulatory gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) surges by causing estradiol-dependent activation of GnRH neuron action potential firing and subsequent GnRH release. To determine if estradiol or ovarian cycle stage modulate functional connectivity in this circuit, anteroventral-periventricular (AVPV) area kisspeptin neurons were photostimulated while recording firing and/or evoked synaptic currents from preoptic area GnRH neurons in acutely-prepared mouse brain slices. Slices were prepared 2-days post ovariectomy (OVX) and OVX plus estradiol during the morning or afternoon, or in the afternoon on diestrus, proestrus, or 1-week post OVX, or 6-weeks post OVX with or without 1-week of estradiol replacement. Photostimulation induced a sustained, frequency-dependent increase in GnRH neuron firing rate. This neuromodulatory-typical response was not different in diestrous versus proestrous mice but was blunted in 1-week OVX mice, suggesting ovarian steroids are needed for maintenance. Neuromodulatory responses were infrequent in 6-week OVX mice with or without 1 week of estradiol treatment. A minority of GnRH neurons exhibited a rapid increase in firing rate typical of fast synaptic transmission. Monosynaptic connectivity was similarly low among hormonal states and consistently GABAergic. Interestingly, evidence of fast-synaptic transmission was not required for GnRH neurons to exhibit an increase in firing rate, suggesting neuromodulatory transmission can occur in this system without fast-synaptic co-transmission. Fast-synaptic transmission was, however, associated with greater increases in firing rate, but only during proestrus, indicating GnRH neuron responsiveness to AVPV kisspeptin neuron activation is dependent on both hormone milieu and synaptic connectivity.
Related
- Dissecting KEAP1-NRF2 interactions: Structural and functional impact of cancer-associated KEAP1 mutants
- Estrous Cycle-Dependent Expression of Nucleobindin-2/Nesfatin-1 in the Porcine Hypothalamus: Colocalization with GnRH and Kisspeptin
- Arcuate kisspeptin neurons display two types of calcium events: Regulation by sex, gonads, and senktide
- Disease-context dependence of periventricular diffusivity and DTI-ALPS in asymptomatic moyamoya disease
- Anatomical determinants of DTI-ALPS: Effects of ROI definition, ventricular morphology, and periventricular deformation.
BibTeX
@article{starrett2026functional,
title = {{Functional interactions between anteroventral periventricular kisspeptin neurons and gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons in female mice.}},
author = {J Rudolph Starrett and Xi Chen and Devon Krasner and Chrystian D Phillips and Suzanne M Moenter},
journal = {Journal of neuroendocrinology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1111/jne.70281},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42833261},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Functional interactions between anteroventral periventricular kisspeptin neurons and gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons in female mice.
AU - J Rudolph Starrett
AU - Xi Chen
AU - Devon Krasner
AU - Chrystian D Phillips
AU - Suzanne M Moenter
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Journal of neuroendocrinology
DO - 10.1111/jne.70281
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42833261
AB - Kisspeptin neurons in the rostral hypothalamus are hypothesized to initiate preovulatory gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) surges by causing estradiol-dependent activation of GnRH neuron action potential firing and subsequent GnRH release. To determine if estradiol or ovarian cycle stage modulate functional connectivity in this circuit, anteroventral-periventricular (AVPV) area kisspeptin neurons were photostimulated while recording firing and/or evoked synaptic currents from preoptic area GnRH neurons in acutely-prepared mouse brain slices. Slices were prepared 2-days post ovariectomy (OVX) and OVX plus estradiol during the morning or afternoon, or in the afternoon on diestrus, proestrus, or 1-week post OVX, or 6-weeks post OVX with or without 1-week of estradiol replacement. Photostimulation induced a sustained, frequency-dependent increase in GnRH neuron firing rate. This neuromodulatory-typical response was not different in diestrous versus proestrous mice but was blunted in 1-week OVX mice, suggesting ovarian steroids are needed for maintenance. Neuromodulatory responses were infrequent in 6-week OVX mice with or without 1 week of estradiol treatment. A minority of GnRH neurons exhibited a rapid increase in firing rate typical of fast synaptic transmission. Monosynaptic connectivity was similarly low among hormonal states and consistently GABAergic. Interestingly, evidence of fast-synaptic transmission was not required for GnRH neurons to exhibit an increase in firing rate, suggesting neuromodulatory transmission can occur in this system without fast-synaptic co-transmission. Fast-synaptic transmission was, however, associated with greater increases in firing rate, but only during proestrus, indicating GnRH neuron responsiveness to AVPV kisspeptin neuron activation is dependent on both hormone milieu and synaptic connectivity.
SN - 0953-8194
SN - 1365-2826
ER -