Gonadotropin inhibitory hormone inhibits basal forebrain vGluT2-gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons via a direct postsynaptic mechanism.
The novel hypothalamic peptides avian gonadotropin inhibitory hormone (GnIH) and its mammalian analogue RFRP-3, are emerging as key negative regulators of reproductive functions across species. GnIH/RFRP-3 reduces gonadotropin release and may play an inhibitory role in ovulation and seasonal reproduction, actions opposite to that of the puberty-promoting kisspeptins. GnIH directly inhibits gonadotropin release from the anterior pituitary in birds. GnIH/RFRP-3-immunoreactive fibres also abut the preoptic-septal gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons, suggesting an additional site of action that has not been studied at the cellular level. Using anatomical labelling and electrophysiological recordings in septal brain slices from GnRH-GFP, vGluT2-GFP and GAD67-GFP mice, we report inhibitory actions of GnIH/RFRP-3 on kisspeptin-activated vGluT2 (vesicular glutamate transporter 2)-GnRH neurons as well as on kisspeptin-insensitive GnRH neurons, but not on cholinergic or GABAergic neurons (n = 531). GnIH and RFRP-3 produced a strikingly similar non-desensitizing hyperpolarization following brief 15 s applications (GnIH: 9.3 +/- 1.9 mV; RFRP-3: 9.0 +/- 0.9 mV) with IC(50) values of 34 and 37 nm, respectively. The inhibitory effect was mediated via a direct postsynaptic Ba(2+)-sensitive K(+) current mechanism and could prevent or interrupt kisspeptin-induced activation of vGluT2-GnRH neurons. GnIH-immunoreactive fibres were in apparent contact with vGluT2-GFP neurons. Thus, GnIH/RFRP-3 could reduce GnRH and glutamate release in target brain regions and in the median eminence via a direct inhibition of vGluT2-GnRH neurons. This in turn could suppress gonadotropin release, influence reproductive development and alter sex behaviour.
Wu
Min
M
Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06508, USA.
Dumalska
Iryna
I
Morozova
Elena
E
van den Pol
Anthony N
AN
Alreja
Meenakshi
M
D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009433:Neural Inhibition; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000378:metabolism*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D055366:Synaptic Potentials; D009435:Synaptic Transmission; D013997:Time Factors; D050599:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism
D006023:Glycoproteins; D009479:Neuropeptides; C416987:RFamide peptide; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C493477:Slc17a6 protein, mouse; D050599:Vesicular Glutamate Transport Protein 2; C014995:gonadotropin inhibitor; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D005968:Glutamate Decarboxylase; C402565:glutamate decarboxylase 1; D000109:Acetylcholine; D011188:Potassium