Recent Advances In Reproductive Neuroendocrinology: A Role For RFamide Peptides In Seasonal Reproduction?

Main Category: Biology / Biochemistry
Also Included In: Veterinary;  Endocrinology;  Neurology / Neuroscience
Article Date: 15 May 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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Most animals breed seasonally to ensure that their offspring are born into favourable conditions.

In the temperate-zone, the changing amount of light per day signals whether conditions will be favourable or not; breeding begins in the springtime when days are getting longer and ends in the fall when days are getting shorter.

How the brain integrates changing day lengths with other cues, like temperature and food availability, remains unclear.

This paper proposes that interactions of two newly discovered hormones found in the brain, gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone and kisspeptin, may allow animals to alter reproductive status, and fine-tune actual breeding events.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Proceedings B is the Royal Society's flagship biological research journal, dedicated to the rapid publication and broad dissemination of high-quality research papers, reviews and comment and reply papers. The scope of journal is diverse and is especially strong in organismal biology.

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences