title: Epigenetic regulation of female puberty.
abstract: Substantial progress has been made in recent years toward deciphering the molecular and genetic underpinnings of the pubertal process. The availability of powerful new methods to interrogate the human genome has led to the identification of genes that are essential for puberty to occur. Evidence has also emerged suggesting that the initiation of puberty requires the coordinated activity of gene sets organized into functional networks. At a cellular level, it is currently thought that loss of transsynaptic inhibition, accompanied by an increase in excitatory inputs, results in the pubertal activation of GnRH release. This concept notwithstanding, a mechanism of epigenetic repression targeting genes required for the pubertal activation of GnRH neurons was recently identified as a core component of the molecular machinery underlying the central restraint of puberty. In this chapter we will discuss the potential contribution of various mechanisms of epigenetic regulation to the hypothalamic control of female puberty.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Ave, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA. Electronic address: lomniczi@ohsu.edu.
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lomniczi
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Ave, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA.
authors.forename: Hollis
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.affiliation: Division of Neuroscience, Oregon National Primate Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, 505 NW 185th Ave, Beaverton, OR 97006, USA. Electronic address: ojedas@ohsu.edu.
authors.forename: Sergio R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Ojeda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000502:physiology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D011627:Puberty / Q000502:physiology*; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
keywords: Chromatin modifications; DNA methylation; Epigenetic regulators; Female puberty; GnRH neurons; Kisspeptin neurons; Long noncoding RNAs; Transcriptional activation; Transcriptional repression; microRNAs