Abstract
NEURONS expressing luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH), found in the septal-preoptic nuclei and hypothalamus1–3, control the release of gonadotropic hormones from the anterior pituitary gland4,5 and facilitate reproductive behaviour6,7. LHRH-expressing neurons are also found in the nervus terminalis8–11, a cranial nerve that is a part of the accessory olfactory system and which projects directly from the nose to the septal-preoptic nuclei in the brain12,13. During development, LHRH-immunoreactivity is detected in the peripheral parts of the nervus terminalis before it is found in the brain8,10,11. Using a combination of LHRH immunocytochemistry and tritiated thymidine autoradiography in fetal mice, we show that LHRH neurons originate in the medial olfactory placode of the developing nose, migrate across the nasal septum and enter the forebrain with the nervus terminalis, arching into the septal-preoptic area and hypothalamus. Clinically, this migratory route for LHRH-expressing neurons could explain the deficiency of gonadotropins seen in 'Kallmann's syndrome' (hypogonadotropic hypogonadism with anosmia).
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Krey, L. C. & Silverman, A.-J. in Brain Peptides (eds Kreiger, D. T., Brownstein, M. J. & Martin, J. B.) 687–709 (Wiley New York, 1983).
Shivers, B. D., Harlan, R, E., Morrell, J. E. & Pfaff, D. W. Neuroendocrinol. 36, 1–12 (1983).
Silverman, A.-J. & Zimmerman, E. A. in Brain-Endocrine Interaction III. Neural Hormones and Reproduction, 83–96 (Karger, Basle, 1978).
Schally, A. V. et al. Biochem. biophys. Res. Commun. 43, 393–399 (1971).
Guillemin, R. Science 202, 390–402 (1978).
Pfaff, D. W. Science 182, 1148–1149 (1973).
Moss, R. L. & McCann, S. M. Science 181, 177–179 (1973).
Schwanzel-Fukuda, M. & Silverman, A.-J. J. comp. Neurol. 191, 213–225 (1980).
Jennes, L. & Stumpf, W. E. Cell Tissue Res. 209, 239–256 (1980).
Schwanzel-Fukuda, M., Morrell, J. I. & Pfaff, D. W. J. comp. Neurol. 238, 348–364 (1985).
Schwanzel-Fukuda, M., Fadem, B. H., Garcia, M. S. & Pfaff, D. W. J. comp. Neurol. 276, 44–60 (1988).
Larsell, O. Ann. Otol. Rhinol. Lar. 59, 414–435 (1950).
Pearson, A. A. J. comp. Neurol. 75, 39–66 (1941).
Kozlowski, G. P., Chu, L., Hostetter, G. & Kerdelhue, B. Peptides 1, 37–46 (1980).
Jennes, L., Stumpf, W. E. & Sheely, M. J. J. comp. Neurol. 232, 534–547 (1985).
Kallman, F. J., Schoenfeld, W. A. & Barrera, S. E. Am. J. ment. Deficiency 48, 203–236 (1944).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Schwanzel-Fukuda, M., Pfaff, D. Origin of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone neurons. Nature 338, 161–164 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1038/338161a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/338161a0
This article is cited by
-
Phosphatidylserine in the Nervous System: Cytoplasmic Regulator of the AKT and PKC Signaling Pathways and Extracellular “Eat-Me” Signal in Microglial Phagocytosis
Molecular Neurobiology (2023)
-
Hypothalamic Kisspeptin Neurons: Integral Elements of the GnRH System
Reproductive Sciences (2023)
-
Diagnosing and treating anterior pituitary hormone deficiency in pediatric patients
Reviews in Endocrine and Metabolic Disorders (2023)
-
Ontogenetic rules for the molecular diversification of hypothalamic neurons
Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2022)
-
Advances in Genetic Diagnosis of Kallmann Syndrome and Genetic Interruption
Reproductive Sciences (2022)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.