Leptin and puberty.
Leptin is thought to relay metabolic information to the hypothalamic-pituitary- gonadal axis and to participate in the neuroendocrine control of puberty. To help elucidate the underlying mechanism, Cheung et al. recently performed a diverse series of experiments, the results of which undermine the prevailing hypothesis that leptin acts as a metabolic trigger for the initiation of puberty. Instead, their results suggest that leptin is one of many permissive metabolic factors that allow pubertal development to proceed.
Urbanski
H F
HF
Division of Neuroscience, Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, 505 N.W. 185th Avenue, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA. urbanski@ohsu.edu
D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011627:Puberty / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D054411:Receptors, Leptin
D002352:Carrier Proteins; C515448:LEPR protein, human; D020738:Leptin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; C515447:leptin receptor, mouse