Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 24, 2026
10:36
In Vitro Imaging and Quantification of the Drug Targeting Efficiency of Fluorescently Labeled GnRH Analogues
Published on: March 21, 2017
Gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH): discovery, progress and prospect
Kazuyoshi Tsutsui1, Takayoshi Ubuka, George E Bentley
1Laboratory of Integrative Brain Sciences, Department of Biology, Waseda University, and Center for Medical Life Science of Waseda University, Tokyo 162-8480, Japan. k-tsutsui@waseda.jp
General and Comparative Endocrinology
|March 7, 2012
Summary
A newly discovered hypothalamic neuropeptide, gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH), plays a key role in inhibiting reproduction across vertebrates. GnIH regulates the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis, impacting seasonal reproduction and stress responses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroendocrinology
- Reproductive Biology
- Comparative Physiology
Background:
- Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) was considered the sole hypothalamic regulator of reproduction.
- The existence of an inhibitory hypothalamic neuropeptide was previously unknown.
- Gonadal steroids and inhibin were known modulators of gonadotropin secretion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the discovery, progress, and prospects of gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone (GnIH).
- To highlight GnIH's role as a key regulator of vertebrate reproduction.
- To discuss GnIH's impact on understanding hypothalamic control of reproduction.
Main Methods:
- Identification of GnIH in birds and subsequent identification in mammals and other vertebrates.
- Investigation of GnIH's mechanism of action via G protein-coupled receptor (GPR147).
- Analysis of GnIH's effects on the pituitary, GnRH neurons, and gonads.
Main Results:
- GnIH inhibits gonadotropin synthesis and release, affecting gonadal development and maintenance.
- GnIH acts on the pituitary and hypothalamic GnRH neurons.
- GnIH functions as an autocrine/paracrine regulator of steroidogenesis and gametogenesis at the gonadal level.
- GnIH regulates reproductive activity seasonally and during stress.
Conclusions:
- GnIH is a crucial inhibitory regulator of the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis in vertebrates.
- GnIH's discovery has revolutionized the understanding of reproductive neuroendocrine control.
- GnIH represents a conserved mechanism for regulating reproduction across diverse species.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:24Gonadal and Placental Hormones
The gonads, namely the testes in males and the ovaries in females, are pivotal in producing gonadal hormones that orchestrate the intricate processes of sexual development and reproduction.
In males, testosterone is the primary gonadal androgen. It plays a central role in the maturation of male reproductive organs — the penis and testes. Additionally, testosterone is instrumental in the development of secondary sexual characteristics — a deep voice as well as facial and pubic hair growth — and...
In males, testosterone is the primary gonadal androgen. It plays a central role in the maturation of male reproductive organs — the penis and testes. Additionally, testosterone is instrumental in the development of secondary sexual characteristics — a deep voice as well as facial and pubic hair growth — and...
01:08Intracellular Hormone Receptors
Lipid-soluble hormones diffuse across the plasma and nuclear membrane of target cells to bind to their specific intracellular receptors. These receptors act as transcription factors that regulate gene expression and protein synthesis in the target cell
01:22Hormonal Regulation of the Menstrual Cycle
The ovarian cycle regulates endometrial changes throughout a single menstrual cycle via the coordinated action of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and gonadotrophins.
At puberty, GnRH begins a pulsatile release pattern, which triggers the anterior pituitary gland to secrete follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The frequency and amplitude of GnRH pulses vary across the menstrual cycle, with faster pulses favoring LH release and slower pulses favoring FSH release.
At puberty, GnRH begins a pulsatile release pattern, which triggers the anterior pituitary gland to secrete follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). The frequency and amplitude of GnRH pulses vary across the menstrual cycle, with faster pulses favoring LH release and slower pulses favoring FSH release.
01:27Hormones of the Pituitary Gland
The small, pea-sized pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain. It is crucial in regulating various bodily functions, from growth to reproduction. The gland is divided into the anterior lobe and the posterior lobe. The secretory cell clusters in the pars distalis of the anterior pituitary lobe are controlled by hypothalamic regulators and synthesize six primary hormones.
The most abundantly secreted hormone from the anterior lobe is the growth hormone, which controls overall growth by...
The most abundantly secreted hormone from the anterior lobe is the growth hormone, which controls overall growth by...
01:37Hypothalamic-Pituitary Axis
The response to stress—be it physical or psychological, acute or chronic—involves activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. The HPA axis is part of the neuroendocrine system because it involves both neuronal and hormonal communication. Its function is to regulate homeostatic systems—metabolic, cardiovascular, and immune—providing the necessary means to respond to a stressor.
01:19Regulation of Hormone Secretion
Regulation of hormone secretion is a finely tuned orchestration driven by various types of stimuli, encompassing neural, humoral, and hormonal signals. Environmental cues instigate neural stimuli, where action potentials traverse nerve fibers to reach their designated targets. An illustrative scenario is the body's response to stress, wherein the sympathetic nervous system releases epinephrine from the adrenal glands, inducing the well-known 'fight or flight' reaction.
Humoral stimuli,...
Humoral stimuli,...