Endocrine Abstracts

Puberty is a crucial developmental event in the lifespan of any individual, when reproductive competence is acquired and somatic and psychological maturation completed. As key maturational process, puberty is the end-point of a sophisticated developmental continuum, sensitive to numerous modifiers, and is subjected to precise regulatory networks, in which central and peripheral signals, as well as external cues, cooperate for the precise control of pubertal timing. In this presentation, we will summarize recent developments in our knowledge of the central mechanisms responsible for the activation of the reproductive axis at puberty, with special emphasis on the role of recently identified neuropeptide systems (epitomized by kisspeptins and neurokinin B), and their interaction with other central transmitters and metabolic hormones. In addition, we will present recent data concerning novel molecular regulators of puberty, including central epigenetic and microRNA regulatory pathways, as well as cellular energy sensors, which operating at the hypothalamus appear to play a fundamental function in the precise control of puberty and its coupling with the body energy/metabolic status. All in all, we intend to provide an integral view of the state-of-the-art in this exciting area of neuroendocrinology, which will (hopefully) enhance the understanding of the physiology of puberty, as well as of the pathophysiological basis of the alterations of pubertal timing and their impact on other bodily systems.