Review article
Hypothalamic kisspeptin and kisspeptin receptors: Species variation in reproduction and reproductive behaviours

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfrne.2021.100951Get rights and content
Under a Creative Commons license
open access

Highlights

  • Evolution of Kiss1-Kiss1R diversity, distribution, and regulation.

  • Essential functions of hypothalamic kisspeptin in mammals and non-mammals.

  • Controversies related to Kiss1-Kiss1R reproductive functions in teleosts.

Abstract

Kisspeptin, encoded by the KISS1 gene, was first discovered as a potential metastasis suppressor gene. The prepro-kisspeptin precursor is cleaved into shorter mature bioactive peptides of varying sizes that bind to the G protein-coupled receptor GPR54 (=KISS1R). Over the last two decades, multiple types of Kiss and KissR genes have been discovered in mammalian and non-mammalian vertebrate species, but they are remarkably absent in birds. Kiss neuronal populations are distributed mainly in the hypothalamus. The KissRs are widely distributed in the brain, including the hypothalamic and non-hypothalamic regions, such as the hippocampus, amygdala, and habenula. The role of KISS1-KISS1R in humans and Kiss1-Kiss1R in rodents is associated with puberty, gonadal maturation, and the reproductive axis. However, recent gene deletion studies in zebrafish and medaka have provided controversial results, suggesting that the reproductive role of kiss is dispensable. This review highlights the evolutionary history, localisation, and significance of Kiss-KissR in reproduction and reproductive behaviours in mammalian and non-mammalian vertebrates.

Keywords

Kisspeptin-receptor
Reproduction
GPR54
RFamide
Metabolism

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