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Siahpoosh Z, Farsimadan M, Pazhohan M, Vaziri H, Mahmoudi Gomari M. KISS1R polymorphism rs587777844 (Tyr313His) is linked to female infertility. Br J Biomed Sci 2021; 78:98-100. [PMID: 33275081 DOI: 10.1080/09674845.2020.1856496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Z Siahpoosh
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Guilan , Rasht, Iran
| | - M Farsimadan
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Guilan , Rasht, Iran
| | - M Pazhohan
- Department of Medical Microbiology Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University , Ankara, Turkey
| | - H Vaziri
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Guilan , Rasht, Iran
| | - M Mahmoudi Gomari
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences , Tehran, Iran
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An Isolated Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism due to a L102P Inactivating Mutation of KISS1R/GPR54 in a Large Family. Case Rep Pediatr 2019; 2019:3814525. [PMID: 31885997 PMCID: PMC6815991 DOI: 10.1155/2019/3814525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
KISS1R (GPR54) mutations have been reported in several patients with congenital normosmic idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (nIHH). We aim to describe in detail nIHH patients with KISS1R (GPR54) mutations belonging to one related extended family and to review the literature. A homozygous mutation (T305C) leading to a leucine substitution with proline (L102P) was found in three affected kindred (2 males and 1 female) from a consanguineous Saudi Arabian family. This residue is localized within the first exoloop of the receptor, affects a highly conserved amino acid, perturbs the conformation of the transmembrane segment, and impairs its function. In the affected female, a combined gonadotropin administration restored regular period and ovulation and she conceived with a healthy baby boy after 4 years of marriage. We showed that a loss-of-function mutation (p.Tyr305C) in the KISS1R gene can cause (L102P) KISS1 receptor dysfunction and familial nIHH, revealing the crucial role of this amino acid in KISS1R function. The observed restoration of periods and later on pregnancy by an exogenous gonadotropin administration further support, in humans, that the KISS1R mutation has no other harmful effects on the patients apart from the gonadotropin secretion impairment.
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3
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Geng D, Zhang H, Liu X, Fei J, Jiang Y, Liu R, Wang R, Zhang G. Identification of KISS1R gene mutations in disorders of non-obstructive azoospermia in the northeast population of China. J Clin Lab Anal 2019; 34:e23139. [PMID: 31821609 PMCID: PMC7171332 DOI: 10.1002/jcla.23139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2019] [Revised: 10/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Non‐obstructive azoospermia (NOA), a serious phenotype of male spermatogenesis failure, is a multifactorial disease which is regulated by genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors. Some gene structural variants have been demonstrated to be related to NOA. Loss‐of‐function mutations of KISS1R cause normosmic idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) which result in azoospermia at the pre‐testicular level. The objective of this research was to investigate genetic variants of KISS1R in NOA patients. Methods The entire coding region of 52 spermatogenesis‐associated genes (KISS1R included) was sequenced from 200 NOA patients. Mutation screening was performed to identify genetic variations of these genes by targeted exome sequencing. Sequencing data analysis was carried out by a series of bioinformatics tools. Candidate variants confirmation was performed by Sanger sequencing. Functional analysis of candidate variants was evaluated using SIFT and PolyPhen‐2. Results Three heterozygous missense variants in KISS1R were identified in three patients, respectively. No deleterious variations in other candidate genes were found in the three patients. Two of these three variants, p.A211T and p.G186E, had been reported in the ExAC and dbSNP database, respectively, while the other variant p.A301D was novel. These variants were all predicted to be likely pathogenic by in silico analysis. Conclusion Our study revealed three heterozygous missense variants in KISS1R which expanded the mutation spectrum of KISS1R in infertile men with NOA in the northeast of China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongfeng Geng
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Prenatal Diagnosis, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Hongguo Zhang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Prenatal Diagnosis, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Xiangyin Liu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Prenatal Diagnosis, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Jia Fei
- Peking Medriv Academy of Genetics and Reproduction, Beijing, China
| | - Yuting Jiang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Prenatal Diagnosis, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Ruizhi Liu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Prenatal Diagnosis, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Ruixue Wang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Center for Prenatal Diagnosis, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Guirong Zhang
- Peking Medriv Academy of Genetics and Reproduction, Beijing, China
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4
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Ke R, Ma X, Lee LTO. Understanding the functions of kisspeptin and kisspeptin receptor (Kiss1R) from clinical case studies. Peptides 2019; 120:170019. [PMID: 30339828 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
It is widely acknowledged that kisspeptin and its receptor Kiss1R play central regulatory roles in the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonad (HPG) axis and reproduction. Mutations of KISS1 and KISS1R lead to disorders associated with pubertal development, such as central precocious puberty (CPP) and idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH). This review focuses on KISS1 and KISS1R mutations found in CPP and IHH and its purposes are twofold: Firstly, based on the mutations found in KISS1 and KISS1R, this review provides insights into the precise mechanism of kisspeptin and the kisspeptin/Kiss1R pathway in the reproductive axis and in puberty. Secondly, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are known to share highly conserved structural motifs; therefore, knowledge of mutations found at different structural domains of Kiss1R in the diseased state, and how they affect Kiss1R function can be used to decipher GPCR domain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Ke
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Xin Ma
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China
| | - Leo T O Lee
- Centre of Reproduction, Development and Aging, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China.
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Ghaemi N, Ghahraman M, Noroozi Asl S, Vakili R, Fardi Golyan F, Moghbeli M, Abbaszadegan MR. Novel DNA variation of GPR54 gene in familial central precocious puberty. Ital J Pediatr 2019; 45:10. [PMID: 30635063 PMCID: PMC6329138 DOI: 10.1186/s13052-019-0601-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Puberty can be considered the end point of a maturation process which is defined by the dynamic interactions of genes and environmental factors during prenatal and postnatal development. Kisspeptin/G protein-coupled receptor-54, is as an essential gatekeeper and regulator of GnRH neurons, and a key factor in initiation of puberty. Loss and gain of functional mutations in the GPR54 gene are associated with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and precocious puberty, respectively. This study was designed to evaluate variations of GPR54 in familial precocious puberty. Methods Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral whole blood of 25 subjects with familial precocious puberty. Coding exons 1–5 of the GPR54 gene were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the PCR products were purified and sequenced. DNA sequences were compared to the human GenBank GPR54 sequence using Sequencher sequence alignment software. Results We detected three different Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in GPR54: rs10407968 (24A > T) in 13 subjects (52%); rs3050132 (1091 T > A) in 16 subjects (64%), and a novel polymorphism (492C > G) in one subject (4%), while three subjects (12%) had no SNPs. No mutations were found in the GPR54 gene. Conclusions Regarding the presence of SNPs in 88% of the subjects in this study, it is likely a relationship exists between the SNPs of the GPR54 gene and familial precocious puberty. Further research is needed to investigate this possibility, and potential functional effects of these polymorphisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nosrat Ghaemi
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism, Imam Reza Hospital, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Martha Ghahraman
- Immunology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Medical Genetics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Samaneh Noroozi Asl
- Department of Pediatric, Valiasr Hospital, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Rahim Vakili
- Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism, Imam Reza Hospital, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Fardi Golyan
- Immunology Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.,Medical Genetics Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Meysam Moghbeli
- Department of Modern Sciences and Technologies, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
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Hugon-Rodin J, Yoshii K, Lahlou N, Flandrin J, Gompel A, de Roux N. Complete Kisspeptin Receptor Inactivation Does Not Impede Exogenous GnRH-Induced LH Surge in Humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2018; 103:4482-4490. [PMID: 30124894 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2018-00410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT Mutations in the kisspeptin receptor (KISS1R) gene have been reported in a few patients with normosmic congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (nCHH) (OMIM #146110). OBJECTIVES To describe a female patient with nCHH and a novel homozygous KISS1R mutation and to assess the role of kisspeptin pathway to induce an ovulation by GnRH pulse therapy. DESIGN, SETTING, AND INTERVENTION Observational study of a patient including genetic and kisspeptin receptor functions and treatment efficiency using a GnRH pump. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Response to pulsatile GnRH therapy. RESULTS A partial isolated gonadotropic deficiency was diagnosed in a 28-year-old woman with primary amenorrhea and no breast development. A novel homozygous c.953T>C variant was identified in KISS1R. This mutation led to substitution of leucine 318 for proline (p.Leu318Pro) in the seventh transmembrane domain of KISS1R. Signaling via the mutated receptor was profoundly impaired in HEK293-transfected cells. The mutated receptor was not detected on the membrane of HEK293-transfected cells. After several pulsatile GnRH therapy cycles, an LH surge with ovulation and pregnancy was obtained. CONCLUSION GnRH pulsatile therapy can induce an LH surge in a woman with a mutated KISS1R, which was previously thought to be completely inactivated in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Hugon-Rodin
- Paris Descartes University, Gynecology Endocrinology Unit, Port-Royal Teaching Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Keisuke Yoshii
- Paris Diderot University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, U1141, Inserm, Paris, France
| | | | - Jennifer Flandrin
- Paris Descartes University, Gynecology Endocrinology Unit, Port-Royal Teaching Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Anne Gompel
- Paris Descartes University, Gynecology Endocrinology Unit, Port-Royal Teaching Hospital, AP-HP, Paris, France
| | - Nicolas de Roux
- Paris Diderot University, Sorbonne Paris Cité, U1141, Inserm, Paris, France
- AP-HP, Biochemistry Laboratory, Robert Debré Teaching Hospital, Paris, France
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Shahab M, Lippincott M, Chan YM, Davies A, Merino PM, Plummer L, Mericq V, Seminara S. Discordance in the Dependence on Kisspeptin Signaling in Mini Puberty vs Adolescent Puberty: Human Genetic Evidence. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2018; 103:1273-1276. [PMID: 29452377 PMCID: PMC6276658 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2017-02636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT Hypothalamic kisspeptin signaling plays a critical role in the initiation and maintenance of reproductive function. Biallelic mutations in the coding sequence of KISS1R (GPR54) have been identified in patients with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, but it is unknown whether biallelic variants can also be associated with related reproductive disorders. CASE DESCRIPTION A missense homozygous variant (c.890G>T p.R297L) in KISS1R was identified in a child who presented with microphallus and bilateral cryptorchidism. This variant has been reported to reduce, but not abolish, postreceptor signaling in vitro. Biochemical evaluation during the neonatal period revealed low testosterone levels. By 11 years and 8 months, the boy began demonstrating increases in testicular volume. By 17 years and 3 months, his testicular volume was 20 mL; his penile length was 7.3 cm; and he had adult levels of circulating gonadotropins and testosterone. CONCLUSION This case report associates biallelic loss-of-function mutations in KISS1R with normal timing of adolescent puberty. Because these coding sequence variants occurred in a patient with microphallus and cryptorchidism, they demonstrate different levels of dependence of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal cascade on kisspeptin signaling at distinct times in the reproductive life span. The suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal cascade during early life but not adolescence suggests that the mini puberty of infancy depends more on kisspeptin-induced, gonadotropin-releasing hormone-induced luteinizing hormone secretion than does adolescent puberty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Shahab
- Harvard Reproductive Sciences Center and Reproductive Endocrine Unit,
Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Margaret Lippincott
- Harvard Reproductive Sciences Center and Reproductive Endocrine Unit,
Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Yee-Ming Chan
- Division of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital,
Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Addie Davies
- Harvard Reproductive Sciences Center and Reproductive Endocrine Unit,
Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Paulina M Merino
- Institute of Maternal and Child Research, University of Chile, Santiago,
Chile
| | - Lacey Plummer
- Harvard Reproductive Sciences Center and Reproductive Endocrine Unit,
Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Veronica Mericq
- Institute of Maternal and Child Research, University of Chile, Santiago,
Chile
| | - Stephanie Seminara
- Harvard Reproductive Sciences Center and Reproductive Endocrine Unit,
Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Correspondence and Reprint Requests: Stephanie Seminara, MD, Reproductive Endocrine Unit, Massachusetts General
Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02114. E-mail:
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8
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Withdrawn: Discovering Genes Essential to the Hypothalamic Regulation of Human Reproduction Using a Human Disease Model: Adjusting to Life in the "-Omics" Era. Endocr Rev 2017. [PMID: 27454361 DOI: 10.1210/er.2015-1045.2016.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction is an intricate process requiring the exquisite coordination of an assortment of cellular networks, all converging on the GnRH neurons. These neurons have a complex life history, migrating mainly from the olfactory placode into the hypothalamus, where GnRH is secreted and acts as the master regulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Much of what we know about the biology of the GnRH neurons has been aided by discoveries made using the human disease model of isolated GnRH deficiency (IGD), a family of rare Mendelian disorders that share a common failure of secretion and/or action of GnRH causing hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Over the last 30 years, research groups around the world have been investigating the genetic basis of IGD using different strategies based on complex cases that harbor structural abnormalities or single pleiotropic genes, endogamous pedigrees, candidate gene approaches as well as pathway gene analyses. Although such traditional approaches, based on well-validated tools, have been critical to establish the field, new strategies, such as next-generation sequencing, are now providing speed and robustness, but also revealing a surprising number of variants in known IGD genes in both patients and healthy controls. Thus, before the field moves forward with new genetic tools and continues discovery efforts, we must reassess what we know about IGD genetics and prepare to hold our work to a different standard. The purpose of this review is to: 1) look back at the strategies used to discover the "known" genes implicated in the rare forms of IGD; 2) examine the strengths and weaknesses of the methodologies used to validate genetic variation; 3)substantiate the role of known genes in the pathophysiology of the disease; and 4) project forward as we embark upon a widening use of these new and powerful technologies for gene discovery. (Endocrine Reviews 36: 603-621, 2015).
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Beymer M, Henningsen J, Bahougne T, Simonneaux V. The role of kisspeptin and RFRP in the circadian control of female reproduction. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2016; 438:89-99. [PMID: 27364888 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2016.06.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Revised: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In female mammals, reproduction shows ovarian and daily rhythms ensuring that the timing of the greatest fertility coincides with maximal activity and arousal. The ovarian cycle, which lasts from a few days to a few weeks, depends on the rhythm of follicle maturation and ovarian hormone production, whereas the daily cycle depends on a network of circadian clocks of which the main one is located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN). In the last ten years, major progress has been made in the understanding of the neuronal mechanisms governing mammalian reproduction with the finding that two hypothalamic Arg-Phe-amide peptides, kisspeptin (Kp) and RFRP, regulate GnRH neurons. In this review we discuss the pivotal role of Kp and RFRP neurons at the interface between the SCN clock signal and GnRH neurons to properly time gonadotropin-induced ovulation. We also report recent findings indicating that these neurons may be part of the multi-oscillatory circadian system that times female fertility. Finally, we will discuss recent investigations indicating a role, and putative therapeutic use, of these neuropeptides in human reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Beymer
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (CNRS UPR 3212), 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Jo Henningsen
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (CNRS UPR 3212), 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France
| | - Thibault Bahougne
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (CNRS UPR 3212), 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France; Service d'Endocrinologie et Diabète, Hôpital Civil, Hôpitaux Universitaires de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Valérie Simonneaux
- Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives (CNRS UPR 3212), 5 rue Blaise Pascal, 67084 Strasbourg, France.
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10
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Francou B, Paul C, Amazit L, Cartes A, Bouvattier C, Albarel F, Maiter D, Chanson P, Trabado S, Brailly-Tabard S, Brue T, Guiochon-Mantel A, Young J, Bouligand J. Prevalence ofKISS1 Receptormutations in a series of 603 patients with normosmic congenital hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism and characterization of novel mutations: a single-centre study. Hum Reprod 2016; 31:1363-74. [DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dew073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Stamou MI, Cox KH, Crowley WF. Withdrawn: Discovering Genes Essential to the Hypothalamic Regulation of Human Reproduction Using a Human Disease Model: Adjusting to Life in the "-Omics" Era. Endocr Rev 2016; 2016:4-22. [PMID: 27454361 PMCID: PMC6958992 DOI: 10.1210/er.2015-1045.2016.1.test] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2015] [Accepted: 09/15/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction is an intricate process requiring the exquisite coordination of an assortment of cellular networks, all converging on the GnRH neurons. These neurons have a complex life history, migrating mainly from the olfactory placode into the hypothalamus, where GnRH is secreted and acts as the master regulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Much of what we know about the biology of the GnRH neurons has been aided by discoveries made using the human disease model of isolated GnRH deficiency (IGD), a family of rare Mendelian disorders that share a common failure of secretion and/or action of GnRH causing hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Over the last 30 years, research groups around the world have been investigating the genetic basis of IGD using different strategies based on complex cases that harbor structural abnormalities or single pleiotropic genes, endogamous pedigrees, candidate gene approaches as well as pathway gene analyses. Although such traditional approaches, based on well-validated tools, have been critical to establish the field, new strategies, such as next-generation sequencing, are now providing speed and robustness, but also revealing a surprising number of variants in known IGD genes in both patients and healthy controls. Thus, before the field moves forward with new genetic tools and continues discovery efforts, we must reassess what we know about IGD genetics and prepare to hold our work to a different standard. The purpose of this review is to: 1) look back at the strategies used to discover the "known" genes implicated in the rare forms of IGD; 2) examine the strengths and weaknesses of the methodologies used to validate genetic variation; 3)substantiate the role of known genes in the pathophysiology of the disease; and 4) project forward as we embark upon a widening use of these new and powerful technologies for gene discovery. (Endocrine Reviews 36: 603-621, 2015).
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Affiliation(s)
- M I Stamou
- Harvard National Center for Translational Research in Reproduction and Infertility, Reproductive Endocrine Unit of the Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
| | - K H Cox
- Harvard National Center for Translational Research in Reproduction and Infertility, Reproductive Endocrine Unit of the Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
| | - William F Crowley
- Harvard National Center for Translational Research in Reproduction and Infertility, Reproductive Endocrine Unit of the Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
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12
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Min L, Nie M, Zhang A, Wen J, Noel SD, Lee V, Carroll RS, Kaiser UB. Computational Analysis of Missense Variants of G Protein-Coupled Receptors Involved in the Neuroendocrine Regulation of Reproduction. Neuroendocrinology 2016; 103:230-9. [PMID: 26088945 PMCID: PMC4684493 DOI: 10.1159/000435884] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 06/10/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Many missense variants in G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) involved in the neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction have been identified by phenotype-driven or large-scale exome sequencing. Computational functional prediction analysis is commonly performed to evaluate their impact on receptor function. METHODS To assess the performance and outcome of functional prediction analyses for these GPCRs, we performed a statistical analysis of the prediction performance of SIFT and PolyPhen-2 for variants with documented biological function as well as variants retrieved from Ensembl. We obtained missense variants with documented biological function testing from patients with reproductive disorders from a comprehensive literature search. Missense variants from individuals with known reproductive disorders were retrieved from the Human Gene Mutation Database. Missense variants from the general population were retrieved from the Ensembl genome database. RESULTS The accuracies of SIFT and PolyPhen-2 were 83 and 85%, respectively. The performance of both prediction tools was greater in predicting loss-of-function variants (SIFT: 92%; PolyPhen-2: 95%) than in predicting variants that did not affect function (SIFT: 54%; PolyPhen-2: 57%). Concordance between SIFT and PolyPhen-2 did not improve accuracy. Surprisingly, approximately half of the variants retrieved from Ensembl were predicted as loss-of-function variants by SIFT (47%) and PolyPhen-2 (54%). CONCLUSION Our findings provide new guidance for interpreting the results and limitations of computational functional prediction analyses for GPCRs and will help to determine which variants require biological function testing. In addition, our findings raise important questions regarding the link between genotype and phenotype in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Min
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115 USA
- To whom correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed: Le Min, M.D., Ph.D., Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115.
| | - Min Nie
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115 USA
| | - Anna Zhang
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115 USA
| | - Junping Wen
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115 USA
| | - Sekoni D. Noel
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115 USA
| | - Vivian Lee
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115 USA
| | - Rona S. Carroll
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115 USA
| | - Ursula B. Kaiser
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 221 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115 USA
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Kisspeptins are a family of neuropeptides whose identification has become one of the biggest discoveries in reproductive endocrinology during the past decade. Kisspeptins act upstream of GnRH as high-level mediators of the reproductive axis. AREAS COVERED The authors performed a search of all publications on kisspeptin since its discovery in 1996. A full appraisal of the expanding literature concerning kisspeptin is beyond the scope of this review. This article therefore aims to cover the principle human studies outlining kisspeptin action in human physiology and to discuss the key findings, describing kisspeptin's potential as a therapeutic target in human reproduction. EXPERT OPINION The identification of the kisspeptin signaling pathway has greatly advanced the study of reproductive endocrinology. Building on a large body of animal data, a growing number of human studies have shown that exogenous kisspeptin can stimulate physiological gonadotropin responses in both healthy subjects and those with disorders of reproduction. There is an increasing appreciation that kisspeptin may act as a signal transmitter between metabolic status and reproductive function. Future work is likely to involve investigation of novel kisspeptin analogs and further exploration of role of neurokinin B and dynorphin on the kisspeptin-GnRH axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Yang
- a Department of Investigative Medicine , Imperial College London , London , UK
| | - Waljit Dhillo
- a Department of Investigative Medicine , Imperial College London , London , UK
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Stamou MI, Cox KH, Crowley WF. Discovering Genes Essential to the Hypothalamic Regulation of Human Reproduction Using a Human Disease Model: Adjusting to Life in the "-Omics" Era. Endocr Rev 2015; 36:603-21. [PMID: 26394276 PMCID: PMC4702497 DOI: 10.1210/er.2015-1045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The neuroendocrine regulation of reproduction is an intricate process requiring the exquisite coordination of an assortment of cellular networks, all converging on the GnRH neurons. These neurons have a complex life history, migrating mainly from the olfactory placode into the hypothalamus, where GnRH is secreted and acts as the master regulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Much of what we know about the biology of the GnRH neurons has been aided by discoveries made using the human disease model of isolated GnRH deficiency (IGD), a family of rare Mendelian disorders that share a common failure of secretion and/or action of GnRH causing hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Over the last 30 years, research groups around the world have been investigating the genetic basis of IGD using different strategies based on complex cases that harbor structural abnormalities or single pleiotropic genes, endogamous pedigrees, candidate gene approaches as well as pathway gene analyses. Although such traditional approaches, based on well-validated tools, have been critical to establish the field, new strategies, such as next-generation sequencing, are now providing speed and robustness, but also revealing a surprising number of variants in known IGD genes in both patients and healthy controls. Thus, before the field moves forward with new genetic tools and continues discovery efforts, we must reassess what we know about IGD genetics and prepare to hold our work to a different standard. The purpose of this review is to: 1) look back at the strategies used to discover the "known" genes implicated in the rare forms of IGD; 2) examine the strengths and weaknesses of the methodologies used to validate genetic variation; 3) substantiate the role of known genes in the pathophysiology of the disease; and 4) project forward as we embark upon a widening use of these new and powerful technologies for gene discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- M I Stamou
- Harvard National Center for Translational Research in Reproduction and Infertility, Reproductive Endocrine Unit of the Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
| | - K H Cox
- Harvard National Center for Translational Research in Reproduction and Infertility, Reproductive Endocrine Unit of the Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
| | - William F Crowley
- Harvard National Center for Translational Research in Reproduction and Infertility, Reproductive Endocrine Unit of the Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
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Villanueva C, Argente J. Pathology or normal variant: what constitutes a delay in puberty? Horm Res Paediatr 2015; 82:213-21. [PMID: 25011467 DOI: 10.1159/000362600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 03/31/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Puberty is a complex maturation process that begins during fetal life and persists until the acquisition of reproduction function. The fundamental event that activates puberty occurs in the hypothalamus. A complex neuron network stimulates GnRH secretion, which stimulates pituitary gonadotropin secretion and then gonadal steroid secretion. Pubertal delay is defined as the presentation of clinical signs of puberty 2-2.5 SD later than in the normal population. Three major groups of etiopathogeneses are described: (1) hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, (2) hypergonadotropic hypogonadism, and (3) constitutional delay of puberty (CDP) - the most common cause of delayed puberty in boys. The differential diagnosis between CDP and isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism remains difficult. Mechanisms of pubertal timing are now better understood and genetic or epigenetic causes can explain some pubertal delays. However, there are still unexplained mechanisms. Treatment of delayed puberty is necessary to ensure full pubertal development for the adolescent and in case of hypogonadism, to restore fertility. Finally, precocious diagnosis of hypogonadism is primordial but can be difficult during childhood and in cases of partial hypogonadism. The study of genetic pubertal diseases or of different animal models could help to discover new diagnostic or therapeutic tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carine Villanueva
- Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Endocrinology, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Demirbilek H, Ozbek MN, Demir K, Kotan LD, Cesur Y, Dogan M, Temiz F, Mengen E, Gurbuz F, Yuksel B, Topaloglu AK. Normosmic idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism due to a novel homozygous nonsense c.C969A (p.Y323X) mutation in the KISS1R gene in three unrelated families. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 2015; 82:429-38. [PMID: 25262569 DOI: 10.1111/cen.12618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2014] [Revised: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 09/13/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The spectrum of genetic alterations in cases of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism continue to expand. However, KISS1R mutations remain rare. The aim of this study was to understand the molecular basis of normosmic idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. METHODS Clinical characteristics, hormonal studies and genetic analyses of seven cases with idiopathic normosmic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (nIHH) from three unrelated consanguineous families are presented. RESULTS One male presented with absence of pubertal onset and required surgery for severe penoscrotal hypospadias and cryptorchidism, while other two males had absence of pubertal onset. Two of four female cases required replacement therapy for pubertal onset and maintenance, whereas the other two had spontaneous pubertal onset but incomplete maturation. In sequence analysis, we identified a novel homozygous nonsense (p.Y323X) mutation (c.C969A) in the last exon of the KISS1R gene in all clinically affected cases. CONCLUSIONS We identified a homozygous nonsense mutation in the KISS1R gene in three unrelated families with nIHH, which enabled us to observe the phenotypic consequences of this rare condition. Escape from nonsense-mediated decay, and thus production of abnormal proteins, may account for the variable severity of the phenotype. Although KISS1R mutations are extremely rare and can cause a heterogeneous phenotype, analysis of the KISS1R gene should be a part of genetic analysis of patients with nIHH, to allow better understanding of phenotype-genotype relationship of KISS1R mutations and the underlying genetic basis of patients with nIHH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huseyin Demirbilek
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Children's State Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turkey
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Prague JK, Dhillo WS. Potential Clinical Use of Kisspeptin. Neuroendocrinology 2015; 102:238-45. [PMID: 26277870 DOI: 10.1159/000439133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Over the last 10 years, kisspeptins--peptide products of varying lengths encoded by the KISS1 gene--have been found to be key regulators of normal reproductive function throughout life in animals and humans. By activating the kisspeptin receptor [previously known as orphan G protein-coupled receptor 54 (GPR54)], they elicit an effect on the central gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons. Administration of kisspeptin by either the subcutaneous or intravenous route potently stimulates endogenous gonadotropin hormone release in healthy men and women as well as in animals. Kisspeptin also stimulates endogenous release of gonadotropins in subfertile as well as healthy volunteers, and therefore it has potential as a novel therapeutic agent in reproductive disorders. Further human studies have shown that chronic, high-dose administration of kisspeptin causes desensitisation with rapid subsequent suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, and therefore high-dose long-acting analogues may have a clinical role in treating sex hormone-dependent malignancies. By further elucidating the intricacies and mechanisms of the kisspeptin signalling system, and the tissues it acts on during different phases of the reproductive timeline (including during puberty, fertility, pregnancy and menopause), pharmacologic analogues could become clinically useful.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia K Prague
- Department of Investigative Medicine, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
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Beneduzzi D, Trarbach EB, Min L, Jorge AAL, Garmes HM, Renk AC, Fichna M, Fichna P, Arantes KA, Costa EMF, Zhang A, Adeola O, Wen J, Carroll RS, Mendonça BB, Kaiser UB, Latronico AC, Silveira LFG. Role of gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor mutations in patients with a wide spectrum of pubertal delay. Fertil Steril 2014; 102:838-846.e2. [PMID: 25016926 PMCID: PMC4149947 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2014.05.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2014] [Revised: 05/16/2014] [Accepted: 05/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyze the GNRHR in patients with normosmic isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) and constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP). DESIGN Molecular analysis and in vitro experiments correlated with phenotype. SETTING Academic medical center. PATIENT(S) A total of 110 individuals with normosmic IHH (74 male patients) and 50 with CDGP. INTERVENTION(S) GNRHR coding region was amplified and sequenced. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Novel variants were submitted to in vitro analysis. Frequency of mutations and genotype-phenotype correlation were analyzed. Microsatellite markers flanking GNRHR were examined in patients carrying the same mutation to investigate a possible founder effect. RESULT(S) Eleven IHH patients (10%) carried biallelic GNRHR mutations. In vitro analysis of novel variants (p.Y283H and p.V134G) demonstrated complete inactivation. The founder effect study revealed that Brazilian patients carrying the p.R139H mutation shared the same haplotype. Phenotypic spectrum in patients with GNRHR mutations varied from complete GnRH deficiency to partial and reversible IHH, with a relatively good genotype-phenotype correlation. One boy with CDGP was heterozygous for the p.Q106R variant, which was not considered to be pathogenic. CONCLUSION(S) GNRHR mutations are a frequent cause of congenital normosmic IHH and should be the first candidate gene for genetic screening in this condition, especially in autosomal recessive familial cases. The founder effect study suggested that the p.R139H mutation arises from a common ancestor in the Brazilian population. Finally, mutations in GNRHR do not appear to be involved in the pathogenesis of CDGP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daiane Beneduzzi
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ericka B Trarbach
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Unidade de Endocrinologia Genética/LIM 25, Disciplina de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Le Min
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Alexander A L Jorge
- Unidade de Endocrinologia Genética/LIM 25, Disciplina de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Heraldo M Garmes
- Unidade de Endocrinologia Departamento de Clínica Médica, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade de Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | | | - Marta Fichna
- Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Piotr Fichna
- Department of Pediatric Diabetes and Obesity, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Karina A Arantes
- Unidade de Endocrinologia Genética/LIM 25, Disciplina de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Elaine M F Costa
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Anna Zhang
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Oluwaseun Adeola
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Junping Wen
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Rona S Carroll
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Berenice B Mendonça
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ursula B Kaiser
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ana Claudia Latronico
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Letícia F G Silveira
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42, Disciplina de Endocrinologia e Metabologia, Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Abstract
The kisspeptins are a family of neuropeptides which act as upstream stimulators of gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. Kisspeptin signalling is prerequisite to establishing the normal human reproductive phenotype; loss of function mutations in the KISS1 or KISS1R gene produces normosmic hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism in humans and mice, whilst increased activation of KISS1R causes precocious puberty. Administration of exogenous kisspeptin to human subjects stimulates an acute gonadotrophin rise. Serum kisspeptin levels also markedly increase during pregnancy. The identification of kisspeptin has been one of the biggest discoveries in the field of reproductive endocrinology, since the isolation and sequencing of GnRH in 1977, and has generated a novel research avenue which has received much attention over the past decade. This research has delineated many properties of the KISS1-KISS1R system, but there is still further work to do. Understanding kisspeptin’s role throughout our reproductive lifetime should help us better understand—and therefore treat—disorders of reproductive function. Promisingly, the current data supports the potential to develop kisspeptin based therapies. As an outlook article this paper focusses predominantly on our groups recent investigations into the effects of kisspeptin administration to humans and the potential therapeutic role of kisspeptin.
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Cukier P, Wright H, Rulfs T, Silveira LFG, Teles MG, Mendonca BB, Arnhold IJP, Heger S, Latronico AC, Ojeda SR, Brito VN. Molecular and gene network analysis of thyroid transcription factor 1 (TTF1) and enhanced at puberty (EAP1) genes in patients with GnRH-dependent pubertal disorders. Horm Res Paediatr 2014; 80:257-66. [PMID: 24051510 DOI: 10.1159/000354643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2013] [Accepted: 07/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM TTF1 and EAP1 are transcription factors that modulate gonadotropin-releasing hormone expression. We investigated the contribution of TTF1 and EAP1 genes to central pubertal disorders. PATIENTS AND METHODS 133 patients with central pubertal disorders were studied: 86 with central precocious puberty and 47 with normosmic isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. The coding region of TTF1 and EAP1 were sequenced. Variations of polyglutamine and polyalanine repeats in EAP1 were analyzed by GeneScan software. Association of TTF1 and EAP1 to genes implicated in timing of puberty was investigated by meta-network framework GeneMANIA and Cytoscape software. RESULTS Direct sequencing of the TTF1 did not reveal any mutation or polymorphisms. Four EAP1 synonymous variants were identified with similar frequencies among groups. The most common EAP1 5'-distal polyalanine genotype was the homozygous 12/12, but the genotype 12/9 was identified in 2 central precocious puberty sisters without functional alteration in EAP1 transcriptional activity. TTF1 and EAP1 were connected, via genetic networks, to genes implicated in the control of menarche. CONCLUSION No TTF1 or EAP1 germline mutations were associated with central pubertal disorders. TTF1 and EAP1 may affect puberty by changing expression in response to other members of puberty-associated gene networks, or by differentially affecting the expression of gene components of these networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscilla Cukier
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Disciplina de Endocrinologia da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo e Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular LIM/42, São Paulo, Brazil
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Novaira HJ, Sonko ML, Hoffman G, Koo Y, Ko C, Wolfe A, Radovick S. Disrupted kisspeptin signaling in GnRH neurons leads to hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism. Mol Endocrinol 2014; 28:225-38. [PMID: 24422632 DOI: 10.1210/me.2013-1319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Landmark studies have shown that mutations in kisspeptin and the kisspeptin receptor (Kiss1r) result in reproductive dysfunction in humans and genetically altered mouse models. However, because kisspeptin and its receptor are present in target cells of the central and peripheral reproductive axis, the precise location(s) for the pathogenic signal is unknown. The study described herein shows that the kisspeptin-Kiss1r signaling pathway in the GnRH neuron is singularly critical for both the onset of puberty as well as the attainment of normal reproductive function. In this study, we directly test the hypothesis that kisspeptin neurons regulate GnRH secretion through the activation of Kiss1r on the plasma membrane of GnRH neurons. A GnRH neuron-specific Kiss1r knockout mouse model (GKirKO) was generated, and reproductive development and phenotype were assessed. Both female and male GKirKO mice were infertile, having low serum LH and FSH levels. External abnormalities such as microphallus and decreased anogenital distance associated with failure of preputial gland separation were present in GKirKO males. A delay in pubertal onset and abnormal estrous cyclicity were observed in female GKirKO mice. Taken together, these data provide in vivo evidence that Kiss1r in GnRH neurons is critical for reproductive development and fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Horacio J Novaira
- Department of Pediatrics (H.J.N., M.L.S., A.W., S.R.), Division of Endocrinology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287; Department of Biology (G.H.), Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland 21251; School of Biological Sciences (Y.K.), Inje University, Gimhae, 621-749, South Korea; and University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana (C.K.), Champaign, Illinois 61820
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Min L, Soltis K, Reis ACS, Xu S, Kuohung W, Jain M, Carroll RS, Kaiser UB. Dynamic kisspeptin receptor trafficking modulates kisspeptin-mediated calcium signaling. Mol Endocrinol 2013; 28:16-27. [PMID: 24295737 DOI: 10.1210/me.2013-1165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Kisspeptin receptor (KISS1R) signaling plays a critical role in the regulation of reproduction. We investigated the role of kisspeptin-stimulated KISS1R internalization, recycling, and degradation in the modulation of KISS1R signaling. Kisspeptin stimulation of Chinese hamster ovary or GT1-7 cells expressing KISS1R resulted in a biphasic increase in intracellular Ca(2+) ([Ca(2+)]i), with a rapid acute increase followed by a more sustained second phase. In contrast, stimulation of the TRH receptor, another Gq/11-coupled receptor, resulted in a much smaller second-phase [Ca(2+)]i response. The KISS1R-mediated second-phase [Ca(2+)]i response was abolished by removal of kisspeptin from cell culture medium. Notably, the second-phase [Ca(2+)]i response was also inhibited by dynasore, brefeldin A, and phenylarsine oxide, which inhibit receptor internalization and recycling, suggesting that KISS1R trafficking contributes to the sustained [Ca(2+)]i response. We further demonstrated that KISS1R undergoes dynamic ligand-dependent and -independent recycling. We next investigated the fate of the internalized kisspeptin-KISS1R complex. Most internalized kisspeptin was released extracellularly in degraded form within 1 hour, suggesting rapid processing of the internalized kisspeptin-KISS1R complex. Using a biotinylation assay, we demonstrated that degradation of cell surface KISS1R was much slower than that of the internalized ligand, suggesting dissociated processing of the internalized kisspeptin-KISS1R complex. Taken together, our results suggest that the sustained calcium response to kisspeptin is dependent on the continued presence of extracellular ligand and is the result of dynamic KISS1R trafficking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Le Min
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension (L.M., K.S., A.C.S.R., S.X., W.K., M.J., R.S.C., U.B.K.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115; and School of Medicine of Ribeirao Preto (A.C.S.R.), University of Sao Paulo, Brazil 14040-900
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Chevrier L, de Brevern A, Hernandez E, Leprince J, Vaudry H, Guedj AM, de Roux N. PRR repeats in the intracellular domain of KISS1R are important for its export to cell membrane. Mol Endocrinol 2013; 27:1004-14. [PMID: 23608644 DOI: 10.1210/me.2012-1386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Inactivating mutations of KISS-1 receptor (KISS1R) have been recently described as a rare cause of isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism transmitted as a recessive trait. Few mutations have been described, and the structure-function relationship of KISS1R remains poorly understood. Here, we have taken advantage of the discovery of a novel mutation of KISS1R to characterize the structure and function of an uncommon protein motif composed of 3 proline-arginine-arginine (PRR) repeats located within the intracellular domain. A heterozygous insertion of 1 PRR repeat in-frame with 3 PRR repeats leading to synthesis of a receptor bearing 4 PRR repeats (PRR-KISS1R) was found in the index case. Functional analysis of PRR-KISS1R showed a decrease of the maximal response to kisspeptin stimulation, associated to a lower cell surface expression without modification of total expression. PRR-KISS1R exerts a dominant negative effect on the synthesis of the wild-type (WT)-KISS1R. This effect was due to the nature of inserted residues but also to the difference of the length of the intracellular domain between PRR-KISS1R and WT-KISS1R. A molecular dynamic analysis showed that the additional PRR constrained this arginine-rich region into a polyproline type II helix. Altogether, this study shows that a heterozygous insertion in KISS1R may lead to hypogonadotropic hypogonadism by a dominant negative effect on the WT receptor. An additional PRR repeat into a proline-arginine-rich motif can dramatically changed the conformation of the intracellular domain of KISS1R and its probable interaction with partner proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucie Chevrier
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale Unité Mixte de Recherche 676, Hôpital Robert Debré, 48 Boulevard Sérurier, 75019 Paris, France
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Cannistraci CV, Ogorevc J, Zorc M, Ravasi T, Dovc P, Kunej T. Pivotal role of the muscle-contraction pathway in cryptorchidism and evidence for genomic connections with cardiomyopathy pathways in RASopathies. BMC Med Genomics 2013; 6:5. [PMID: 23410028 PMCID: PMC3626861 DOI: 10.1186/1755-8794-6-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2012] [Accepted: 02/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cryptorchidism is the most frequent congenital disorder in male children; however the genetic causes of cryptorchidism remain poorly investigated. Comparative integratomics combined with systems biology approach was employed to elucidate genetic factors and molecular pathways underlying testis descent. METHODS Literature mining was performed to collect genomic loci associated with cryptorchidism in seven mammalian species. Information regarding the collected candidate genes was stored in MySQL relational database. Genomic view of the loci was presented using Flash GViewer web tool (http://gmod.org/wiki/Flashgviewer/). DAVID Bioinformatics Resources 6.7 was used for pathway enrichment analysis. Cytoscape plug-in PiNGO 1.11 was employed for protein-network-based prediction of novel candidate genes. Relevant protein-protein interactions were confirmed and visualized using the STRING database (version 9.0). RESULTS The developed cryptorchidism gene atlas includes 217 candidate loci (genes, regions involved in chromosomal mutations, and copy number variations) identified at the genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic level. Human orthologs of the collected candidate loci were presented using a genomic map viewer. The cryptorchidism gene atlas is freely available online: http://www.integratomics-time.com/cryptorchidism/. Pathway analysis suggested the presence of twelve enriched pathways associated with the list of 179 literature-derived candidate genes. Additionally, a list of 43 network-predicted novel candidate genes was significantly associated with four enriched pathways. Joint pathway analysis of the collected and predicted candidate genes revealed the pivotal importance of the muscle-contraction pathway in cryptorchidism and evidence for genomic associations with cardiomyopathy pathways in RASopathies. CONCLUSIONS The developed gene atlas represents an important resource for the scientific community researching genetics of cryptorchidism. The collected data will further facilitate development of novel genetic markers and could be of interest for functional studies in animals and human. The proposed network-based systems biology approach elucidates molecular mechanisms underlying co-presence of cryptorchidism and cardiomyopathy in RASopathies. Such approach could also aid in molecular explanation of co-presence of diverse and apparently unrelated clinical manifestations in other syndromes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo V Cannistraci
- Integrative Systems Biology Laboratory, Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Division, Computational Bioscience Research Center, King Abdullah University for Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia.
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Brioude F, Bouligand J, Francou B, Fagart J, Roussel R, Viengchareun S, Combettes L, Brailly-Tabard S, Lombès M, Young J, Guiochon-Mantel A. Two families with normosmic congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and biallelic mutations in KISS1R (KISS1 receptor): clinical evaluation and molecular characterization of a novel mutation. PLoS One 2013; 8:e53896. [PMID: 23349759 PMCID: PMC3548821 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2012] [Accepted: 12/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Context KISS1R mutations have been reported in few patients with normosmic congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (nCHH) (OMIM #146110). Objective To describe in detail nCHH patients with biallelic KISS1R mutations belonging to 2 unrelated families, and to functionally characterize a novel KISS1R mutation. Results An original mutant, p.Tyr313His, was found in the homozygous state in 3 affected kindred (2 females and 1 male) from a consanguineous Portuguese family. This mutation, located in the seventh transmembrane domain, affects a highly conserved amino acid, perturbs the conformation of the transmembrane segment, and impairs MAP kinase signaling and intracellular calcium release. In the second family, a French Caucasian male patient with nCHH was found to carry two recurrent mutations in the compound heterozygous state (p.Leu102Pro/Stop399Arg). In this man, pulsatile GnRH (Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone) administration restored pulsatile LH (Luteinizing Hormone) secretion and testicular hormone secretion. Later, long-term combined gonadotropin therapy induced spermatogenesis, enabling 3 successive pregnancies that resulted in 2 miscarriages and the birth of a healthy boy. Conclusion We show that a novel loss-of-function mutation (p.Tyr313His) in the KISS1R gene can cause familial nCHH, revealing the crucial role of this amino acid in KISS1R function. The observed restoration of gonadotropin secretion by exogenous GnRH administration further supports, in humans, the hypothalamic origin of the gonadotropin deficiency in this genetic form of nCHH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Brioude
- Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud UMR-S693, Univ Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- INSERM U693, IFR93, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Jérôme Bouligand
- Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud UMR-S693, Univ Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- INSERM U693, IFR93, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- Service de Génétique Moléculaire, Pharmacogénétique et Hormonologie, Hôpital Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Bruno Francou
- Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud UMR-S693, Univ Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- INSERM U693, IFR93, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- Service de Génétique Moléculaire, Pharmacogénétique et Hormonologie, Hôpital Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Jérôme Fagart
- Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud UMR-S693, Univ Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- INSERM U693, IFR93, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Ronan Roussel
- Université Paris–Diderot, Paris 7, Paris, France
- Département d'Endocrinologie Diabétologie et Nutrition, Hôpital Bichat, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Say Viengchareun
- Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud UMR-S693, Univ Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- INSERM U693, IFR93, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Laurent Combettes
- Faculté des Sciences, INSERM UMR-S757, Univ Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
| | - Sylvie Brailly-Tabard
- Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud UMR-S693, Univ Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- INSERM U693, IFR93, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- Service de Génétique Moléculaire, Pharmacogénétique et Hormonologie, Hôpital Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
| | - Marc Lombès
- Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud UMR-S693, Univ Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- INSERM U693, IFR93, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- Service d'Endocrinologie et des Maladies de la Reproduction and Centre de Référence des Maladies Endocriniennes Rares de la Croissance, Hôpital Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Jacques Young
- Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud UMR-S693, Univ Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- INSERM U693, IFR93, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- Service d'Endocrinologie et des Maladies de la Reproduction and Centre de Référence des Maladies Endocriniennes Rares de la Croissance, Hôpital Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
- * E-mail: (JY); (AGM)
| | - Anne Guiochon-Mantel
- Faculté de Médecine Paris-Sud UMR-S693, Univ Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- INSERM U693, IFR93, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- Service de Génétique Moléculaire, Pharmacogénétique et Hormonologie, Hôpital Bicêtre, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Le Kremlin Bicêtre, France
- * E-mail: (JY); (AGM)
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Bianco SDC, Kaiser UB. Molecular biology of the kisspeptin receptor: signaling, function, and mutations. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 784:133-58. [PMID: 23550005 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6199-9_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Kisspeptin receptor (KISS1R) signaling is essential for the hallmark increase in pulsatile GnRH secretion characteristic of the onset of puberty in humans and experimental animals. Loss-of-function mutations in KISS1R are associated with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in humans. Also, mutations with confirmed association with idiopathic central precocious puberty were identified in kisspeptin and KISS1R. These observations underscore the role of KISS1R signaling for normal pubertal development. Moreover, investigation of the mechanisms underlying the gain-of-function mutation in KISS1R indicates that the duration of KISS1R signaling is critical for the role of this receptor in timing the onset of puberty in humans. These findings further endorse the need to uncover the mechanisms, as well as yet-unknown proteins, involved in each step of KISS1R signaling. This knowledge is expected to advance our understanding of normal and abnormal pubertal development, as well as to help uncover the role of KISS1R signaling in non-hypothalamic tissues such as the placenta. This chapter discusses recent advances in the investigation of KISS1R signaling and function, as well as potential pathophysiological implications of naturally occurring mutations in this receptor identified in humans with reproductive disorders.
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Abstract
The hypothalamic hormone GnRH has traditionally been viewed as a central driver of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Pulsatile GnRH release is required for pulsatile gonadotropin secretion, which then modulates gonadal steroid feedback and brings about full fertility in the adult. Pathways governing GnRH ontogeny and physiology have been discovered by studying humans with disorders of GnRH secretion. In this chapter, the human genetics of the kisspeptin signaling pathway in patients with diverse reproductive phenotypes will be explored. The discovery of defects in the kisspeptin system in several reproductive disorders has shed light on the mechanisms involved in regulating GnRH secretion, revealing the critical role played by the kisspeptin signaling pathway in pubertal initiation and reproductive function.
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Pinilla L, Aguilar E, Dieguez C, Millar RP, Tena-Sempere M. Kisspeptins and Reproduction: Physiological Roles and Regulatory Mechanisms. Physiol Rev 2012; 92:1235-316. [DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00037.2010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 529] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Procreation is essential for survival of species. Not surprisingly, complex neuronal networks have evolved to mediate the diverse internal and external environmental inputs that regulate reproduction in vertebrates. Ultimately, these regulatory factors impinge, directly or indirectly, on a final common pathway, the neurons producing the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which stimulates pituitary gonadotropin secretion and thereby gonadal function. Compelling evidence, accumulated in the last few years, has revealed that kisspeptins, a family of neuropeptides encoded by the Kiss1 gene and produced mainly by neuronal clusters at discrete hypothalamic nuclei, are pivotal upstream regulators of GnRH neurons. As such, kisspeptins have emerged as important gatekeepers of key aspects of reproductive maturation and function, from sexual differentiation of the brain and puberty onset to adult regulation of gonadotropin secretion and the metabolic control of fertility. This review aims to provide a comprehensive account of the state-of-the-art in the field of kisspeptin physiology by covering in-depth the consensus knowledge on the major molecular features, biological effects, and mechanisms of action of kisspeptins in mammals and, to a lesser extent, in nonmammalian vertebrates. This review will also address unsolved and contentious issues to set the scene for future research challenges in the area. By doing so, we aim to endow the reader with a critical and updated view of the physiological roles and potential translational relevance of kisspeptins in the integral control of reproductive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonor Pinilla
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III; and Instituto Maimónides de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Córdoba, Spain; Department of Physiology, University of Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; and Centre for Integrative Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Enrique Aguilar
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III; and Instituto Maimónides de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Córdoba, Spain; Department of Physiology, University of Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; and Centre for Integrative Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Carlos Dieguez
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III; and Instituto Maimónides de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Córdoba, Spain; Department of Physiology, University of Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; and Centre for Integrative Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Robert P. Millar
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III; and Instituto Maimónides de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Córdoba, Spain; Department of Physiology, University of Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; and Centre for Integrative Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Manuel Tena-Sempere
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Immunology, University of Córdoba; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III; and Instituto Maimónides de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Córdoba, Spain; Department of Physiology, University of Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Santiago de Compostela, Spain; and Centre for Integrative Physiology, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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Poling MC, Kauffman AS. Sexually dimorphic testosterone secretion in prenatal and neonatal mice is independent of kisspeptin-Kiss1r and GnRH signaling. Endocrinology 2012; 153:782-93. [PMID: 22202164 PMCID: PMC3275395 DOI: 10.1210/en.2011-1838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2011] [Accepted: 11/29/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Kisspeptin, encoded by the Kiss1 gene, stimulates GnRH secretion and is therefore critical for sex steroid secretion at puberty and in adulthood. However, kisspeptin's role in regulating sex steroid secretion earlier in development is unexplored. In rodents, testosterone (T) levels are higher in prenatal and newborn males than females. We determined whether kisspeptin-Kiss1r and GnRH signaling plays a role in sexually dimorphic perinatal T secretion in mice. Our results demonstrate that 1) T levels in newborn males are elevated at 4 h but not 20 h after birth, but hypothalamic Kiss1 and neurokinin B (NKB) levels in males are not different between these time points (and both are lower than in females); 2) serum T levels in newborn Kiss1r knockout (KO) males are higher than in newborn females and similar to wild-type (WT) males; 3) perinatal hypothalamic progesterone receptor (Pgr) expression, which is dependent on circulating levels of gonadally produced T, is significantly higher in prenatal and newborn Kiss1r KO and WT males than similarly aged females; 4) multiple measures of testicular growth and function are not different between developing Kiss1r KO and WT mice until after postnatal d 5; and 5) GnRH neurons of newborn males do not exhibit high c-fos coexpression, and newborn hypogonadal (hpg) male mice (lacking GnRH) secrete elevated T, similar to newborn WT males. We conclude that, unlike in puberty and adulthood, elevated T secretion in prenatal and neonatal mice is independent of both kisspeptin and GnRH signaling, and the necessity of kisspeptin-Kiss1r signaling for testicular function is first apparent after d 5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew C Poling
- Department of Reproductive Medicine, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, California 92093, USA
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31
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Hwang JS. The genes associated with gonadotropin-releasing hormone-dependent precocious puberty. KOREAN JOURNAL OF PEDIATRICS 2012; 55:6-10. [PMID: 22359524 PMCID: PMC3282217 DOI: 10.3345/kjp.2012.55.1.6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2011] [Accepted: 12/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Human puberty is a complex, coordinated biological process with multiple levels of regulations. The timing of puberty varies greatly in children and is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. The key genes of pubertal onset, KISS1, GPR54, GNRH1 and GNRHR, may be major causal factors underlying gonadotropin-releasing hormone-dependent precocious puberty (GDPP). Two gain-of-function mutations in KISS1 and GPR54 have been identified recently as genetic causes of GDPP. GNRH1 and GNRHR are also gene candidates for GDPP; however no mutations have been identified in these genes. Presently potential genetic causes like LIN28B continues to appear; many areas of research await exploration in this context. In this review, I focus primarily on the genetic causes of GDPP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Soon Hwang
- Department of Pediatrics, Ajou University Hospital, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea
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Bianco SDC. A potential mechanism for the sexual dimorphism in the onset of puberty and incidence of idiopathic central precocious puberty in children: sex-specific kisspeptin as an integrator of puberty signals. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2012; 3:149. [PMID: 23248615 PMCID: PMC3521239 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2012.00149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2011] [Accepted: 11/12/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The major determinants of the variability in pubertal maturation are reported to be genetic and inherited. Nonetheless, nutritional status contributes significantly to this variability. Malnutrition delays puberty whereas obesity has been associated to a rise in Idiopathic Central Precocious Puberty (ICPP) in girls. However, epidemiology data indicate that contribution of obesity to early puberty varies significantly among ethnic groups, and that obesity-independent inheritable genetic factors are the strongest predictors of early puberty in any ethnic group. In fact, two human mutations with confirmed association to ICPP have been identified in children with no history of obesity. These mutations are in kisspeptin and kisspeptin receptor, a ligand/receptor pair with a major role on the onset of puberty and female cyclicity after puberty. Progressive increases in kisspeptin expression in hypothalamic nuclei known to regulate reproductive function has been associated to the onset of puberty, and hypothalamic expression of kisspeptin is reported to be sexually dimorphic in many species, which include humans. The hypothalamus of females is programmed to express significantly higher levels of kisspeptin than their male counterparts. Interestingly, incidence of ICPP and delayed puberty in children is markedly sexually dimorphic, such that ICPP is at least 10-fold more frequent in females, whereas prevalence of delayed puberty is about 5-fold higher in males. These observations are consistent with a possible involvement of sexually dimorphic kisspeptin signaling in the sexual dimorphism of normal puberty and of pubertal disorders in children of all ethnicities. This review discusses the likelihood of such associations, as well as a potential role of kisspeptin as the converging target of environmental, metabolic, and hormonal signals, which would be integrated in order to optimize reproductive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzy D. C. Bianco
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of MedicineMiami, FL, USA
- Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of MedicineMiami, FL, USA
- *Correspondence: Suzy D. C. Bianco, Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Batchelor Children's Research Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, BCRI, Suite 607, 1580 NW 10th Avenue, Miami, FL 33136, USA. e-mail:
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Wahab F, Quinton R, Seminara SB. The kisspeptin signaling pathway and its role in human isolated GnRH deficiency. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2011; 346:29-36. [PMID: 21704672 PMCID: PMC3733256 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2011.05.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/27/2011] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Amplification of the neurosecretory activity of the GnRH system is the defining neuroendocrine event for sexual maturation. The physiological mechanisms that drive GnRH secretion at puberty have been difficult to identify but the discovery in 2003 that the G protein coupled receptor KISS1R is a key regulator of pubertal development in mice and men has ushered in a new chapter in reproductive neuroendocrinology. KISS1R is activated by endogenous peptides derived from a precursor protein, kisspeptin. Despite kisspeptin's importance in driving the reproductive cascade, relatively few patients with GnRH deficient states and mutations in the kisspeptin pathway have been described. Yet, these cases, coupled with loss-of-function mouse models, provide unique and complementary information into the biological role of this signaling system in the control of GnRH secretion. This article will examine some of the subtleties in genotype-phenotype correlations in both mice and men carrying disabling mutations in the kisspeptin pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fazal Wahab
- Harvard Center for Reproductive Sciences and Reproductive Endocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
| | - Richard Quinton
- Endocrinology Research Group, Institute of Human Genetics, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Newcastle-upon-Tyne NE1 3BZ, United Kingdom
| | - Stephanie B. Seminara
- Harvard Center for Reproductive Sciences and Reproductive Endocrine Unit, Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114
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Abstract
In the past two decades, an increasing body of evidence has demonstrated that several G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR)-ligand pairs are critical for normal human reproductive development and function. Patients harboring genetic insults in either the receptors or their cognate ligands have presented with reproductive disorders characterized by varying degrees of GnRH deficiency. These disorders include idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) and Kallmann Syndrome (KS). Conversely, mutations in some of these ligand-receptor pairs have been associated with accelerated reproductive maturation, manifested as central precocious puberty (CPP). To date, a series of elegant studies have characterized four GPCRs that play important roles in the neuroendocrine control of human reproductive development and function: GnRHR, KISS1R, PROKR2 and NK3R. Furthermore, these studies provide insights into the mechanisms by which mutations in these receptors give rise to reproductive disease phenotypes. This report will review mutations identified in GPCRs involved in the neuroendocrine control of the human reproductive axis with the aims of elucidating structure-function relationships of these GPCRs and identifying correlations between these structure-function relationships and the genotypic-phenotypic characterization of the patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sekoni D Noel
- Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Hypertension, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Teles MG, Silveira LFG, Tusset C, Latronico AC. New genetic factors implicated in human GnRH-dependent precocious puberty: the role of kisspeptin system. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2011; 346:84-90. [PMID: 21664234 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2011.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2011] [Accepted: 05/11/2011] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Human puberty is triggered by the reemergence of GnRH pulsatile secretion with progressive activation of the gonadal function. A number of genes have been identified in the complex regulatory neuroendocrine network that controls puberty initiation. KISS1 and KISS1R genes, which encode kisspeptin and its cognate receptor, respectively, are considered crucial factors for acquisition of normal reproductive function. Recently, rare missense mutations and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the kisspeptin system were associated with puberty onset. Two gain-of-function mutations of the KISS1 and KISS1R genes were implicated in the pathogenesis of GnRH-dependent precocious puberty, previously considered idiopathic. These discoveries have yielded significant insights into the physiology and pathophysiology of this important life transition time. Here, we review the current molecular defects that are implicated in human GnRH-dependent precocious puberty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Gurgel Teles
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratório de Hormônios e Genética Molecular/LIM42 da Disciplina de Endocrinologia e Metabologia do Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Bouvattier C, Maione L, Bouligand J, Dodé C, Guiochon-Mantel A, Young J. Neonatal gonadotropin therapy in male congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Nat Rev Endocrinol 2011; 8:172-82. [PMID: 22009162 DOI: 10.1038/nrendo.2011.164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Congenital hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (CHH) causes pubertal failure and infertility in both women and men due to partial or total secretory failure of the two pituitary gonadotropins lutropin (LH) and follitropin (FSH) during periods of physiological activation of the gonadotropic axis. Men and women with CHH frequently seek treatment for infertility after hypogonadism therapy. Some etiologies, such as autosomal dominant or X-linked Kallmann syndrome, raise the question of hereditary transmission, leading to increasing demands for genetic counseling and monitoring of medically assisted pregnancies. Diagnosis and treatment of newborn boys is, therefore, becoming an increasingly important issue. In male individuals with complete forms of CHH, the antenatal and neonatal gonadotropin deficit leads to formation of a micropenis and cryptorchidism, which could undermine future sexual and reproductive functions. Standard treatments, usually started after the age of puberty, often only partially correct the genital abnormalities and spermatogenesis. The aim of this Review is to examine the possible additional benefits of neonatal gonadotropin therapy in male patients with CHH. Encouraging results of neonatal therapy, together with a few reports of prepubertal treatment, support the use of this novel therapeutic strategy aimed at improving sexual and reproductive functions in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Bouvattier
- Departement de Pédiatrie Endocrinienne, Hôpital Bicêtre-University Paris-Sud, 78 Rue du Général Leclerc, F-94275 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France
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Pugliese-Pires PN, Fortin JP, Arthur T, Latronico AC, Mendonca BB, Villares SMF, Arnhold IJP, Kopin AS, Jorge AAL. Novel inactivating mutations in the GH secretagogue receptor gene in patients with constitutional delay of growth and puberty. Eur J Endocrinol 2011; 165:233-41. [PMID: 21646290 DOI: 10.1530/eje-11-0168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A limited number of mutations in the GH secretagogue receptor gene (GHSR) have been described in patients with short stature. Objective To analyze GHSR in idiopathic short stature (ISS) children including a subgroup of constitutional delay of growth and puberty (CDGP) patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS The GHSR coding region was directly sequenced in 96 independent patients with ISS, 31 of them with CDGP, in 150 adults, and in 197 children with normal stature. The pharmacological consequences of GHSR non-synonymous variations were established using in vitro cell-based assays. RESULTS Five different heterozygous point variations in GHSR were identified (c.-6 G>C, c.251G>T (p.Ser84Ile), c.505G>A (p.Ala169Thr), c.545 T>C (p.Val182Ala), and c.1072G>A (p.Ala358Thr)), all in patients with CDGP. Neither these allelic variants nor any other mutations were found in 694 alleles from controls. Functional studies revealed that two of these variations (p.Ser84Ile and p.Val182Ala) result in a decrease in basal activity that was in part explained by a reduction in cell surface expression. The p.Ser84Ile mutation was also associated with a defect in ghrelin potency. These mutations were identified in two female patients with CDGP (at the age of 13 years, their height SDS were -2.4 and -2.3). Both patients had normal progression of puberty and reached normal adult height (height SDS of -0.7 and -1.4) without treatment. CONCLUSION This is the first report of GHSR mutations in patients with CDGP. Our data raise the intriguing possibility that abnormalities in ghrelin receptor function may influence the phenotype of individuals with CDGP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia N Pugliese-Pires
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratorio de Hormonios e Genética Molecular (LIM/42), Disciplina de Endocrinologia da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Sao Paulo (FMUSP), Sao Paulo 05403-000, Brazil
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Mitchell AL, Dwyer A, Pitteloud N, Quinton R. Genetic basis and variable phenotypic expression of Kallmann syndrome: towards a unifying theory. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2011; 22:249-58. [PMID: 21511493 DOI: 10.1016/j.tem.2011.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2011] [Revised: 02/09/2011] [Accepted: 03/11/2011] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH) is defined by absent or incomplete puberty and characterised biochemically by low levels of sex steroids, with low or inappropriately normal gonadotropin hormones. IHH is frequently accompanied by non-reproductive abnormalities, most commonly anosmia, which is present in 50-60% of cases and defines Kallmann syndrome. The understanding of IHH has undergone rapid evolution, both in respect of genetics and breadth of phenotype. Once considered in monogenic Mendelian terms, it is now more coherently understood as a complex genetic condition. Oligogenic and complex genetic-environmental interactions have now been identified, with physiological and environmental factors interacting in genetically susceptible individuals to alter the clinical course and phenotype. These potentially link IHH to ancient evolutionary pressures on the ancestral human genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Mitchell
- Endocrine Research Group, Institute for Genetic Medicine, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK
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Bianco SDC, Vandepas L, Correa-Medina M, Gereben B, Mukherjee A, Kuohung W, Carroll R, Teles MG, Latronico AC, Kaiser UB. KISS1R intracellular trafficking and degradation: effect of the Arg386Pro disease-associated mutation. Endocrinology 2011; 152:1616-26. [PMID: 21285314 PMCID: PMC3060635 DOI: 10.1210/en.2010-0903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The goal of this study was to investigate how the Arg386Pro mutation prolongs KiSS-1 receptor (KISS1R) responsiveness to kisspeptin, contributing to human central precocious puberty. Confocal imaging showed colocalization of wild-type (WT) KISS1R with a membrane marker, which persisted for up to 5 h of stimulation. Conversely, no colocalization with a lysosome marker was detected. Also, overnight treatment with a lysosome inhibitor did not affect WT KISS1R protein, whereas overnight treatment with a proteasome inhibitor increased protein levels by 24-fold. WT and Arg386Pro KISS1R showed time-dependent internalization upon stimulation. However, both receptors were recycled back to the membrane. The Arg386Pro mutation did not affect the relative distribution of KISS1R in membrane and internalized fractions when compared to WT KISS1R for up to 120 min of stimulation, demonstrating that this mutation does not affect KISS1R trafficking rate. Nonetheless, total Arg386Pro KISS1R was substantially increased compared with WT after 120 min of kisspeptin stimulation. This net increase was eliminated by blockade of detection of recycled receptors, demonstrating that recycled receptors account for the increased responsiveness of this mutant to kisspeptin. We therefore conclude the following: 1) WT KISS1R is degraded by proteasomes rather than lysosomes; 2) WT and Arg386Pro KISS1R are internalized upon stimulation, but most of the internalized receptors are recycled back to the membrane rather than degraded; 3) the Arg386Pro mutation does not affect the rate of KISS1R trafficking--instead, it prolongs responsiveness to kisspeptin by decreasing KISS1R degradation, resulting in the net increase on mutant receptor recycled back to the plasma membrane.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzy D C Bianco
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33136, USA.
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Nimri R, Lebenthal Y, Lazar L, Chevrier L, Phillip M, Bar M, Hernandez-Mora E, de Roux N, Gat-Yablonski G. A novel loss-of-function mutation in GPR54/KISS1R leads to hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in a highly consanguineous family. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2011; 96:E536-45. [PMID: 21193544 DOI: 10.1210/jc.2010-1676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT The G protein-coupled receptor 54 (GPR54), the kisspeptin receptor, is essential for stimulation of GnRH secretion and induction of puberty. Recently loss-of-function mutations of the GPR54 have been implicated as a cause of isolated idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH). OBJECTIVE The objective of the study was to identify the genetic cause of IHH in a consanguineous pedigree and to characterize the phenotypic features from infancy through early adulthood. DESIGN In six patients with normosmic IHH belonging to two families of Israeli Muslim-Arab origin highly related to one another, DNA was analyzed for mutations in the GnRHR and GPR54 genes, with functional analysis of the mutation found. The five males underwent comprehensive endocrine evaluation and were under longitudinal follow-up; the one female presented in early adulthood. RESULTS A new homozygous mutation (c.T815C) in GPR54 leading to a phenylalanine substitution by serine (p.F272S) was detected in all patients. Functional analysis showed an almost complete inhibition of kisspeptin-induced GPR54 signaling and a dramatic decrease of the mutated receptor expression at the cell surface. The males exhibited the same clinical features from infancy to adulthood, characterized by cryptorchidism, a relatively short penis, and no spontaneous pubertal development. The female patient presented at 18 yr with impuberism and primary amenorrhea. Repeated stimulation tests demonstrated complete gonadotropin deficiency throughout follow-up. CONCLUSION A novel loss-of-function mutation (p.F272S) in the GPR54 gene is associated with familial normosmic IHH. Underdeveloped external genitalia and impuberism point to the major role of GPR54 in the activation of the gonadotropic axis from intrauterine life to adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Revital Nimri
- The Jesse Z. and Sara Lea Shafer Institute for Endocrinology and Diabetes, National Center for Childhood Diabetes, Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, 14 Kaplan Street, Petah Tikva 49202, Israel
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Wierman ME, Kiseljak-Vassiliades K, Tobet S. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neuron migration: initiation, maintenance and cessation as critical steps to ensure normal reproductive function. Front Neuroendocrinol 2011; 32:43-52. [PMID: 20650288 PMCID: PMC3008544 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2010.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2010] [Revised: 07/08/2010] [Accepted: 07/14/2010] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
GnRH neurons follow a carefully orchestrated journey from their birth in the olfactory placode area. Initially, they migrate along with the vomeronasal nerve into the brain at the cribriform plate, then progress caudally to sites within the hypothalamus where they halt and send projections to the median eminence to activate pituitary gonadotropes. Many factors controlling this precise journey have been elucidated by the silencing or over-expression of candidate genes in mouse models. Importantly, a number of these factors may not only play a role in normal physiology of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis but also be mis-expressed to cause human disorders of GnRH deficiency, presenting as a failure to undergo normal pubertal development. This review outlines the current cadre of candidates thought to modulate GnRH neuronal migration. The further elucidation and characterization of these factors that impact GnRH neuron development may shed new light on human reproductive disorders and provide potential targets to develop new pro-fertility or contraceptive agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret E Wierman
- Department of Medicine, University of Colorado-Denver, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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Silveira LG, Tusset C, Latronico AC. Impact of mutations in kisspeptin and neurokinin B signaling pathways on human reproduction. Brain Res 2010; 1364:72-80. [PMID: 20816945 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2010.08.087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2010] [Revised: 08/24/2010] [Accepted: 08/26/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The involvement of kisspeptin and neurokinin in B pathways in the reproductive axis was first suspected by linkage analysis in consanguineous families with isolated hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH). Since then, several loss-of-function mutations affecting the kisspeptin receptor and neurokinin B and its receptor were associated with sporadic and familial IHH without olfactory abnormalities or other associated developmental alterations. Clinical manifestations were indistinguishable in individuals with mutations affecting these pathways. Micropenis and cryptorchidism were common findings among male patients. Response to acute GnRH stimulation varied from blunted to normal, and many affected males and females were successfully treated for infertility with either exogenous gonadotropins or long term pulsatile GnRH infusion. More recently, rare activating mutations of the kisspeptin and its receptor were identified in children with idiopathic central precocious puberty, supporting the crucial role of this system in the human pubertal onset. Kisspeptin is a potent excitatory regulator of the GnRH secretion, whereas the role of neurokinin B in the neuroendocrine control of the reproductive axis is still poorly understood. Interestingly, kisspeptin and neurokinin B are coexpressed in the arcuate nucleus in the mammalian hypothalamus, suggesting that these systems are closely related and potential partners of the regulation of the reproductive axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Gontijo Silveira
- Unidade de Endocrinologia do Desenvolvimento, Laboratorio de Hormonios e Genetica Molecular, Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de medicina da Universidade de São Paulo (FMUSP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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