ESPE2024 Poster Category 1 Pituitary, Neuroendocrinology and Puberty 2 (9 abstracts)
Characterization of puberty-regulating microRNAs within the hypothalamus of female mice
Pavlos Fanis 1 , Maria Morrou 1 , Marios Tomazou 2 , Hend Abdulgadr M. Alghol 1 , George M Spyrou 2 , Vassos Neocleous 1 & Leonidas A Phylactou 1
1Department of Molecular Genetics, Function and Therapy, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus. 2Department of Bioinformatics, The Cyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics, Nicosia, Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
Background: Puberty is a crucial developmental stage marked by the transition from childhood to adulthood, organized by complex hormonal signaling within the neuroendocrine system. The hypothalamus, a central region in this system, regulates pubertal functions through the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons, essential in puberty control, release GnRH in a pulsatile manner, initiating the production of sex hormones. Major influence in pubertal timing has been attributed to genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and nutritional status. MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small non-coding RNA molecules, have emerged as key regulators in various cellular processes by either repressing genes or activating them by inhibiting their repressors.
Methods: RNA sequencing for identifying and comparing the total population of miRNAs in the hypothalamus of female mice before, during and after puberty. Bioinformatic analysis of the expression profile of miRNAs with altered levels followed by pathway enrichment analysis.
Results: Expression levels of several miRNAs were found up- or down-regulated from pre-pubertal to pubertal stage. Furthermore, monitoring the levels of these miRNAs at the post-pubertal stage revealed four expression patterns, in which pathway analysis displayed the associations of these miRNAs with developmental processes, cell cycle regulation, metabolic biosynthesis and epigenetic regulation.
Conclusion: The findings of the present study improve our understanding of the molecular pathways underlying puberty and stress the significance of miRNAs in fine-tuning gene expression within the hypothalamus during this critical developmental stage.
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