Hypothalamic epigenetics driving female puberty

• Published in: Journal of neuroendocrinology Vol. 30; no. 7; pp. e12589 - n/a
• Main Authors: Toro, C. A., Aylwin, C. F., Lomniczi, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-07-2018
• Subjects: arcuate nucleus; chromatin modifications; epigenetic regulators; Epigenetics; female puberty; GnRH neurones; Gonadotropin-releasing hormone; Hypothalamus; kisspeptin neurones; KNDy neurones; Pituitary; Pituitary (anterior); Polycomb Group; Puberty; Secretion; transcriptional activation; transcriptional repression; Trithorax complex; kisspeptin neurones; arcuate nucleus; Trithorax complex; transcriptional repression; epigenetic regulators; KNDy neurones; chromatin modifications; female puberty; Polycomb Group; transcriptional activation; GnRH neurones
• ISSN: 0953-8194; 1365-2826
• DOI: 10.1111/jne.12589

Puberty involves a series of morphological, physiological and behavioural changes during the last part of the juvenile period that culminates in the attainment of fertility. The activation of the pituitary‐gonadal axis by increased hypothalamic secretion of gonadotrophin‐releasing hormone (GnRH) is an essential step in the process. The current hypothesis postulates that a loss of transsynaptic inhibition and a rise in excitatory inputs are responsible for the activation of GnRH release. Similarly, a shift in the balance in the expression of puberty activating and puberty inhibitory genes exists during the pubertal transition. In addition, recent evidence suggests that the epigenetic machinery controls this genetic balance, giving rise to the tantalising possibility that epigenetics serves as a relay of environmental signals known for many years to modulate pubertal development. Here, we review the contribution of epigenetics as a regulatory mechanism in the hypothalamic control of female puberty.