Neural circuit basis for the onset of puberty by leptin signaling

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K16270
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 46010:Neuroscience-general-related
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Goto Teppei 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 生命機能科学研究センター, 基礎科学特別研究員 (20772049)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 性成熟 / キスペプチン / 制限給餌

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The onset of puberty occurs as the body grows. Feeding restriction during the peripubertal period in mice induces failure of puberty onset. When the mice were given free access to food from feeding restriction, body weight increased rapidly, and the mice reached puberty. In vivo calcium imaging from kisspeptin neurons, reproductive center revealed that ad libitum feeding increased the activity of kisspeptin neurons. Supplementation of leptin during feeding restriction had no effect on puberty onset. Thus, a sufficient diet during the peripubertal period enhances the neural activity of kisspeptin neurons. However, the responsible substances for the onset of puberty still need to be studied.

Free Research Field

神経内分泌

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

10代女性のアスリートや極端な食事制限等による急激な体重減少を原因とした思春期の女性における無月経が社会的問題となっている。本研究で確立した制限給餌による性成熟不全モデルはこの思春期女性の無月経を模していると考えられる。性成熟期の制限給餌が脳内キスペプチンニューロン活動を抑制するという知見は、思春期女性の無月経の発生機序の理解に有用であると考えられる。