Intrinsic Neuronal Plasticity of Kiss1 Neurons in Mice around Puberty
type: CreativeWork
description: Puberty is a critical stage in mammalian development, characterized by rapid somatic growth, sexual maturation, and the final maturation of the central nervous system. The timing of puberty is crucial, as initiating it either too early or too late can lead to adverse outcomes. Precocious puberty can result in attenuated growth, while delayed puberty can lead to mental health problems. Therefore, understanding puberty is essential for gaining insights into fertility, post-pubertal health, and species continuity. Puberty is initiated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, a key hormonal regulatory system in mammals. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is released from the hypothalamus by GnRH neurons, stimulating the anterior pituitary to secrete luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). These hormones act on the gonads to promote gametogenesis and the production of sex steroids, which provide negative feedback to the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary to maintain appropriate hormone levels. Kiss1 neurons govern the pubertal process and are critical for the transition from an infertile to a fertile state. Mature Kiss1 neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) project to GnRH neurons to induce GnRH pulses and surges, respectively. This thesis aimed to test the hypothesis that Kiss1 neurons in the hypothalamus exhibit neuronal plasticity during puberty in mice. Kiss-CRE-tdTomato female mice begin puberty at around 4.5-5 weeks of age. Mice were divided into three age groups: 3-week pre-pubertal, 4-week pre-pubertal, and post-pubertal (6-8 weeks). To test their intrinsic plasticity, whole-cell current-clamp recordings on Kiss1 neurons (labelled with tdTomato in brain slices) was used. Kiss1ARC neurons in 3-week pre-pubertal mice showed a significantly lower number of action potentials, and a higher firing frequency compared to Kiss1ARC neurons in 4-week and post-pubertal mice. In contrast, in…
abstract: Puberty is a critical stage in mammalian development, characterized by rapid somatic growth, sexual maturation, and the final maturation of the central nervous system. The timing of puberty is crucial, as initiating it either too early or too late can lead to adverse outcomes. Precocious puberty can result in attenuated growth, while delayed puberty can lead to mental health problems. Therefore, understanding puberty is essential for gaining insights into fertility, post-pubertal health, and species continuity. Puberty is initiated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, a key hormonal regulatory system in mammals. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is released from the hypothalamus by GnRH neurons, stimulating the anterior pituitary to secrete luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). These hormones act on the gonads to promote gametogenesis and the production of sex steroids, which provide negative feedback to the hypothalamus and anterior pituitary to maintain appropriate hormone levels. Kiss1 neurons govern the pubertal process and are critical for the transition from an infertile to a fertile state. Mature Kiss1 neurons in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) and anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) project to GnRH neurons to induce GnRH pulses and surges, respectively. This thesis aimed to test the hypothesis that Kiss1 neurons in the hypothalamus exhibit neuronal plasticity during puberty in mice. Kiss-CRE-tdTomato female mice begin puberty at around 4.5-5 weeks of age. Mice were divided into three age groups: 3-week pre-pubertal, 4-week pre-pubertal, and post-pubertal (6-8 weeks). To test their intrinsic plasticity, whole-cell current-clamp recordings on Kiss1 neurons (labelled with tdTomato in brain slices) was used. Kiss1ARC neurons in 3-week pre-pubertal mice showed a significantly lower number of action potentials, and a higher firing frequency compared to Kiss1ARC neurons in 4-week and post-pubertal mice. In contrast, in…
author: Zhang, Yuanxin
language: eng
keywords: electrophysiology, Kisspeptin, neuronal plasticity, patch clamp, Puberty
license: https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/a0df8110-005f-4c05-8122-c5cd87f5a9f9/download
license: http://purl.org/NET/rdflicense/allrightsreserved
date published: 2024-09-20
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:24:21Z
provider: Cambridge University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Cambridge

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.17863/CAM.116740