Gonadotropin-Inhibitory Hormone (GnIH):Discovery, Progress and Perspecitive

Probing undiscovered neuropeptides that play important roles in the regulation of pituitary function is essential for the progress of avian endocrinology and neuroendocrinology. Neuropeptide control of gonadotropin secretion at the level of the anterior pituitary gland is primarily through the stim...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Japan Poultry Science Association 2006-08-01
Series:The Journal of Poultry Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jpsa/43/3/43_3_191/_pdf/-char/en
_version_ 1797816241089413120
author Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
author_facet Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
author_sort Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
collection DOAJ
description Probing undiscovered neuropeptides that play important roles in the regulation of pituitary function is essential for the progress of avian endocrinology and neuroendocrinology. Neuropeptide control of gonadotropin secretion at the level of the anterior pituitary gland is primarily through the stimulatory action of the hypothalamic decapeptide, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Until recently, any neuropeptide that directly inhibits gonadotropin secretion has not been identified. In 2000, we discovered a novel hypothalamic dodecapeptide that directly inhibits gonadotropin release in quail and termed it gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH). A gonadotropin inhibitory system is an intriguing concept and provides us with an unprecedented opportunity to study the regulation of avian reproduction from an entirely novel standpoint. To elucidate the mode of action of GnIH, we have identified a novel G protein-coupled receptor for GnIH in quail. The GnIH receptor possessed seven transmembrane domains and specifically bound to GnIH. The GnIH receptor was found to be expressed in the pituitary and several brain regions including the hypothalamus. These results indicate that GnIH acts directly on the pituitary via GnIH receptor to inhibit gonadotropin release. GnIH may also act on the hypothalamus to inhibit GnRH release. To demonstrate the functional significance of GnIH and its potential role as a key neuropeptide involved in avian reproduction, we investigated GnIH actions on gonadal development and maintenance in quail. Chronic treatment with GnIH inhibited gonadal development and maintenance by the decreasing gonadotropin synthesis and release. Melatonin is a key factor for involved in GnIH neural function, because quail GnIH neurons contain melatonin receptor and melatonin treatment stimulates expression of GnIH mRNA and mature GnIH peptide. Thus GnIH is capable of transducing photoperiodic information via changes in the melatonin signal and to influence the reproductive axis of birds. It is concluded that GnIH, a newly discovered hypothalamic neuropeptide, acts as an important factor on avian reproduction.
first_indexed 2024-03-13T08:34:49Z
format Article
id doaj.art-3b05c834c3c24713a22ba95277380dd3
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1346-7395
1349-0486
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-13T08:34:49Z
publishDate 2006-08-01
publisher Japan Poultry Science Association
record_format Article
series The Journal of Poultry Science
spelling doaj.art-3b05c834c3c24713a22ba95277380dd32023-05-31T00:20:05ZengJapan Poultry Science AssociationThe Journal of Poultry Science1346-73951349-04862006-08-0143319119810.2141/jpsa.43.191jpsaGonadotropin-Inhibitory Hormone (GnIH):Discovery, Progress and PerspecitiveKazuyoshi Tsutsui0Laboratory of Brain Science, Faculty of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, and Integrative Brain Science Center at Hiroshima UniversityProbing undiscovered neuropeptides that play important roles in the regulation of pituitary function is essential for the progress of avian endocrinology and neuroendocrinology. Neuropeptide control of gonadotropin secretion at the level of the anterior pituitary gland is primarily through the stimulatory action of the hypothalamic decapeptide, gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Until recently, any neuropeptide that directly inhibits gonadotropin secretion has not been identified. In 2000, we discovered a novel hypothalamic dodecapeptide that directly inhibits gonadotropin release in quail and termed it gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH). A gonadotropin inhibitory system is an intriguing concept and provides us with an unprecedented opportunity to study the regulation of avian reproduction from an entirely novel standpoint. To elucidate the mode of action of GnIH, we have identified a novel G protein-coupled receptor for GnIH in quail. The GnIH receptor possessed seven transmembrane domains and specifically bound to GnIH. The GnIH receptor was found to be expressed in the pituitary and several brain regions including the hypothalamus. These results indicate that GnIH acts directly on the pituitary via GnIH receptor to inhibit gonadotropin release. GnIH may also act on the hypothalamus to inhibit GnRH release. To demonstrate the functional significance of GnIH and its potential role as a key neuropeptide involved in avian reproduction, we investigated GnIH actions on gonadal development and maintenance in quail. Chronic treatment with GnIH inhibited gonadal development and maintenance by the decreasing gonadotropin synthesis and release. Melatonin is a key factor for involved in GnIH neural function, because quail GnIH neurons contain melatonin receptor and melatonin treatment stimulates expression of GnIH mRNA and mature GnIH peptide. Thus GnIH is capable of transducing photoperiodic information via changes in the melatonin signal and to influence the reproductive axis of birds. It is concluded that GnIH, a newly discovered hypothalamic neuropeptide, acts as an important factor on avian reproduction.https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jpsa/43/3/43_3_191/_pdf/-char/enhypothalamusgonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (gnih)gonado tropin-releasing hormone (gnrh)gonadotropinsmelatonin
spellingShingle Kazuyoshi Tsutsui
Gonadotropin-Inhibitory Hormone (GnIH):Discovery, Progress and Perspecitive
The Journal of Poultry Science
hypothalamus
gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (gnih)
gonado tropin-releasing hormone (gnrh)
gonadotropins
melatonin
title Gonadotropin-Inhibitory Hormone (GnIH):Discovery, Progress and Perspecitive
title_full Gonadotropin-Inhibitory Hormone (GnIH):Discovery, Progress and Perspecitive
title_fullStr Gonadotropin-Inhibitory Hormone (GnIH):Discovery, Progress and Perspecitive
title_full_unstemmed Gonadotropin-Inhibitory Hormone (GnIH):Discovery, Progress and Perspecitive
title_short Gonadotropin-Inhibitory Hormone (GnIH):Discovery, Progress and Perspecitive
title_sort gonadotropin inhibitory hormone gnih discovery progress and perspecitive
topic hypothalamus
gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (gnih)
gonado tropin-releasing hormone (gnrh)
gonadotropins
melatonin
url https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jpsa/43/3/43_3_191/_pdf/-char/en
work_keys_str_mv AT kazuyoshitsutsui gonadotropininhibitoryhormonegnihdiscoveryprogressandperspecitive