Sexual Dimorphism in Kisspeptin Signaling
Kisspeptin (KP) and kisspeptin receptor (KPR) are essential for the onset of puberty, development of gonads, and maintenance of gonadal function in both males and females. Hypothalamic KPs and KPR display a high degree of sexual dimorphism in expression and function. KPs act on KPR in gonadotropin r...
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| author | Eun Bee Lee Iman Dilower Courtney A. Marsh Michael W. Wolfe Saeed Masumi Sameer Upadhyaya Mohammad A. Karim Rumi |
| author_facet | Eun Bee Lee Iman Dilower Courtney A. Marsh Michael W. Wolfe Saeed Masumi Sameer Upadhyaya Mohammad A. Karim Rumi |
| author_sort | Eun Bee Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Kisspeptin (KP) and kisspeptin receptor (KPR) are essential for the onset of puberty, development of gonads, and maintenance of gonadal function in both males and females. Hypothalamic KPs and KPR display a high degree of sexual dimorphism in expression and function. KPs act on KPR in gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons and induce distinct patterns of GnRH secretion in males and females. GnRH acts on the anterior pituitary to secrete gonadotropins, which are required for steroidogenesis and gametogenesis in testes and ovaries. Gonadal steroid hormones in turn regulate the KP neurons. Gonadal hormones inhibit the KP neurons within the arcuate nucleus and generate pulsatile GnRH mediated gonadotropin (GPN) secretion in both sexes. However, the numbers of KP neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus and preoptic area are greater in females, which release a large amount of KPs in response to a high estrogen level and induce the preovulatory GPN surge. In addition to the hypothalamus, KPs and KPR are also expressed in various extrahypothalamic tissues including the liver, pancreas, fat, and gonads. There is a remarkable difference in circulating KP levels between males and females. An increased level of KPs in females can be linked to increased numbers of KP neurons in female hypothalamus and more KP production in the ovaries and adipose tissues. Although the sexually dimorphic features are well characterized for hypothalamic KPs, very little is known about the extrahypothalamic KPs. This review article summarizes current knowledge regarding the sexual dimorphism in hypothalamic as well as extrahypothalamic KP and KPR system in primates and rodents. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:01:01Z |
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| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:01:01Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
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| series | Cells |
| spelling | doaj.art-c8c3e9f7ef924fa0a6b67e4549c40af42023-11-30T23:04:07ZengMDPI AGCells2073-44092022-03-01117114610.3390/cells11071146Sexual Dimorphism in Kisspeptin SignalingEun Bee Lee0Iman Dilower1Courtney A. Marsh2Michael W. Wolfe3Saeed Masumi4Sameer Upadhyaya5Mohammad A. Karim Rumi6Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USADepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USADepartment of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USADepartment of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USADepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USADepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USADepartment of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USAKisspeptin (KP) and kisspeptin receptor (KPR) are essential for the onset of puberty, development of gonads, and maintenance of gonadal function in both males and females. Hypothalamic KPs and KPR display a high degree of sexual dimorphism in expression and function. KPs act on KPR in gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons and induce distinct patterns of GnRH secretion in males and females. GnRH acts on the anterior pituitary to secrete gonadotropins, which are required for steroidogenesis and gametogenesis in testes and ovaries. Gonadal steroid hormones in turn regulate the KP neurons. Gonadal hormones inhibit the KP neurons within the arcuate nucleus and generate pulsatile GnRH mediated gonadotropin (GPN) secretion in both sexes. However, the numbers of KP neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus and preoptic area are greater in females, which release a large amount of KPs in response to a high estrogen level and induce the preovulatory GPN surge. In addition to the hypothalamus, KPs and KPR are also expressed in various extrahypothalamic tissues including the liver, pancreas, fat, and gonads. There is a remarkable difference in circulating KP levels between males and females. An increased level of KPs in females can be linked to increased numbers of KP neurons in female hypothalamus and more KP production in the ovaries and adipose tissues. Although the sexually dimorphic features are well characterized for hypothalamic KPs, very little is known about the extrahypothalamic KPs. This review article summarizes current knowledge regarding the sexual dimorphism in hypothalamic as well as extrahypothalamic KP and KPR system in primates and rodents.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/11/7/1146kisspeptinskisspeptin neuronsGnRH neuronsgonadotropinsextrahypothalamic kisspeptinssexual dimorphism |
| spellingShingle | Eun Bee Lee Iman Dilower Courtney A. Marsh Michael W. Wolfe Saeed Masumi Sameer Upadhyaya Mohammad A. Karim Rumi Sexual Dimorphism in Kisspeptin Signaling Cells kisspeptins kisspeptin neurons GnRH neurons gonadotropins extrahypothalamic kisspeptins sexual dimorphism |
| title | Sexual Dimorphism in Kisspeptin Signaling |
| title_full | Sexual Dimorphism in Kisspeptin Signaling |
| title_fullStr | Sexual Dimorphism in Kisspeptin Signaling |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sexual Dimorphism in Kisspeptin Signaling |
| title_short | Sexual Dimorphism in Kisspeptin Signaling |
| title_sort | sexual dimorphism in kisspeptin signaling |
| topic | kisspeptins kisspeptin neurons GnRH neurons gonadotropins extrahypothalamic kisspeptins sexual dimorphism |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/11/7/1146 |
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