This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. These studies examine the role that cell-cell communication within the brain plays in the control of female puberty. The concept is being developed that reciprocal communication between neurons (one of the two main functional and structural units of the central nervous system) and astroglial cells (the other main building block of the nervous system) is critical for the timely acquisition of female sexual maturity and reproductive competence. We have identified several components of this glia-neuron regulatory system and elucidated some of the intercellular mechanisms they employ to transfer information from astroglial cells to the neurons that secrete luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH), the hormone controlling female sexual development. A family of growth factors related to a protein known as epidermal growth factor (EGF) was found to be produced by astroglial cells and to function interactively to facilitate LHRH secretion and, thus, regulate the initiation of the pubertal process. Using mutant mice in which the normal function of these pivotal recognition molecules mediating the actions of EGF-related proteins was impaired, we demonstrated that these astroglial-derived growth factors are required for normal female sexual development. We have also used genomic and proteomic approaches to identify new genes that, expressed in the hypothalamus, participate in the control of the pubertal process. Altogether these results reveal an extraordinary complexity in the regulatory process used by the brain to control sexual development in mammals, and provide support for the concept that the syndromes of sexual precocity and delayed sexual development of central origin in humans may be related to abnormalities affecting these major regulatory pathways.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Center for Research Resources (NCRR)
Type
Primate Research Center Grants (P51)
Project #
5P51RR000163-47
Application #
7348869
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRR1-CM-8 (01))
Project Start
2006-05-01
Project End
2007-04-30
Budget Start
2006-05-01
Budget End
2007-04-30
Support Year
47
Fiscal Year
2006
Total Cost
$76,828
Indirect Cost
Name
Oregon Health and Science University
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
096997515
City
Portland
State
OR
Country
United States
Zip Code
97239
Okoye, Afam A; Hansen, Scott G; Vaidya, Mukta et al. (2018) Early antiretroviral therapy limits SIV reservoir establishment to delay or prevent post-treatment viral rebound. Nat Med 24:1430-1440
Jensen, Jeffrey T; Hanna, Carol; Mishler, Emily et al. (2018) Effect of menstrual cycle phase and hormonal treatments on evaluation of tubal patency in baboons. J Med Primatol 47:40-45
Toro, C A; Aylwin, C F; Lomniczi, A (2018) Hypothalamic epigenetics driving female puberty. J Neuroendocrinol 30:e12589
Bulgarelli, Daiane L; Ting, Alison Y; Gordon, Brenda J et al. (2018) Development of macaque secondary follicles exposed to neutral red prior to 3-dimensional culture. J Assist Reprod Genet 35:71-79
Prola-Netto, Joao; Woods, Mark; Roberts, Victoria H J et al. (2018) Gadolinium Chelate Safety in Pregnancy: Barely Detectable Gadolinium Levels in the Juvenile Nonhuman Primate after in Utero Exposure. Radiology 286:122-128
Moccetti, Federico; Brown, Eran; Xie, Aris et al. (2018) Myocardial Infarction Produces Sustained Proinflammatory Endothelial Activation in Remote Arteries. J Am Coll Cardiol 72:1015-1026
Blue, Steven W; Winchell, Andrea J; Kaucher, Amy V et al. (2018) Simultaneous quantitation of multiple contraceptive hormones in human serum by LC-MS/MS. Contraception 97:363-369
Jeon, Sookyoung; Li, Qiyao; Rubakhin, Stanislav S et al. (2018) 13C-lutein is differentially distributed in tissues of an adult female rhesus macaque following a single oral administration: a pilot study. Nutr Res :
Slayden, Ov Daniel; Friason, Francis Kathryn E; Bond, Kise Rosen et al. (2018) Hormonal regulation of oviductal glycoprotein 1 (OVGP1; MUC9) in the rhesus macaque cervix. J Med Primatol 47:362-370
Dissen, G A; Adachi, K; Lomniczi, A et al. (2017) Engineering a gene silencing viral construct that targets the cat hypothalamus to induce permanent sterility: An update. Reprod Domest Anim 52 Suppl 2:354-358

Showing the most recent 10 out of 492 publications