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Towards Understanding the Neurobiology of Mammalian Puberty: Genetic, Genomic and Proteomic Approaches

  • Conference paper
Hormones and the Brain

Part of the book series: Research and Perspectives in Endocrine Interactions ((RPEI))

Summary

The pubertal activation of gonadotropin hormone-releasing hormone (GnRH) release in rodents and primates is brought about by coordinated changes in excitatory and inhibitory inputs to GnRH neurons. These inputs include both transsynaptic and glia-to-neuron communication pathways. Using cellular and molecular approaches in combination with transgenic animal models and high throughput procedures for gene discovery, we are beginning to gain insights into the basic mechanisms underlying this dual transsynaptic/glial control of GnRH secretion, and hence, the initiation of mammalian puberty. The results thus far obtained suggest that the initiation of puberty requires reciprocal neuron-glia communication involving excitatory amino acids and growth factors, changes in synaptic make-up and glia-neuron adhesiveness, and the transcriptional regulation of genes required for the normal function of both neurons and glial cells involved in the control of GnRH secretion.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center/Oregon Health & Science University, 505 N.W. 185th Avenue, Beaverton, Oregon

    Sergio R. Ojeda, Alejandro Lomniczi, Alison Mungenast, Claudio Mastronardi, Anne-Simone Parent, Christian Roth, Vincent Prevot, Sabine Hegeir & Heike Jung

  2. INSERM U422, Place de Verdum, 59045, Lille cedex, France

    Vincent Prevot

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, University Children’s Hospital, Schwanenweg 20, 24105, Kiel, Germany

    Sabine Hegeir

  4. Lilly Deutschland GmvbH, Niederlassung Bad Homburg, Saalburgstrabe, 611350, Bad Homburg, Germany

    Heike Jung

Authors
  1. Sergio R. Ojeda
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  2. Alejandro Lomniczi
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  3. Alison Mungenast
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  4. Claudio Mastronardi
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  5. Anne-Simone Parent
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  6. Christian Roth
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  7. Vincent Prevot
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  8. Sabine Hegeir
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  9. Heike Jung
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institut Necker, 156, Rue de Vaugirad, 75015, Paris, France

    Claude Kordon Ph.D.

  2. Dept. Medecine Interne, Div. Endocrinologie, Centre Hospitaier Universitaire Vadois, 1011, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Rolf-Christian Gaillard M.D.

  3. Fondation IPSEN, Pour la Recherche Thérapeutique, 24, rue Erlanger, 75781, Paris Cedex 16, France

    Yves Christen Ph.D.

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© 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Ojeda, S.R. et al. (2005). Towards Understanding the Neurobiology of Mammalian Puberty: Genetic, Genomic and Proteomic Approaches. In: Kordon, C., Gaillard, RC., Christen, Y. (eds) Hormones and the Brain. Research and Perspectives in Endocrine Interactions. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-26940-1_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-26940-1_3

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-21355-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-26940-3

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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