Puberty onset is coordinated by gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH)-secreting hypothalamic neurons. Here, the authors show that impairing microRNA (miRNA) synthesis causes hypergonadism and sterility in mice. They find that two key miRNAs — miR-200 and miR-155 — target genes that control the activity of the Gnrh promoter. By modulating the balance between inductive and repressive signals these miRNAs precisely time the surge in GnRH that drives puberty onset.
References
Messina, A. et al. A microRNA switch regulates the rise in hypothalamic GnRH production before puberty. Nat. Neurosci. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nn.4298 (2016).
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Whalley, K. Switching on puberty. Nat Rev Neurosci 17, 399 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn.2016.76
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn.2016.76
