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. To investigate genes controlling the timing of puberty. Understanding the mechanism of puberty in the brain is important, as some diseases and behavioral disturbances occur in association with puberty. The species specificity of pubertal age indicates that the timing of puberty is controlled by genes. However, it is still unclear which gene is responsible for the onset of puberty. As the first step to identify the genes controlling the timing of puberty, we measured mRNA for LHRH, NPY, GAD67, and GAD65 in study models by RNase Protection Assay. Ovariectomy increased LHRH mRNA levels in the medial basal hypothalamus and preoptic area, while GAD67, and GAD65 mRNA in the preoptic area decrease after ovariectomy. NPY mRNA in the preoptic area had tendency to decrease, although not significant. The results indicate that mRNA levels in the hypothalamus and preoptic area are profoundly modulated by the ovarian steroid hormone estrogen, thus it is important to investigate the changes in LHRH, GAD65, GAD64 and NPY mRNA levels in the medial basal hypothalamus and preopotic area of prepubertal and pubertal monkeys with or without ovariectomy. Presented as an abstract of the 35th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience. This research used WNPRC Assay Services and Animal Services.
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