Neuman-Lee Lorin, Greives Timothy, Hopkins Gareth R, French Susannah S
Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-5305, USA.
Department of Biological Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58106, USA.
Horm Behav. 2017 Mar;89:48-54. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2016.12.006. Epub 2016 Dec 23.
The neuropeptide kisspeptin and its receptor are essential for activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and regulating reproduction. While the role of kisspeptin in regulating the HPG axis in mammals has been well established, little is known about the functional ability of kisspeptins to activate the HPG axis and associated behavior in non-mammalian species. Here we experimentally examined the effects of kisspeptin on downstream release of testosterone and associated aggression and display behaviors in the side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana). We found that exogenous treatment with kisspeptin resulted in an increase in circulating testosterone levels, castration blocked the kisspeptin-induced increase in testosterone, and testosterone levels in kisspeptin-treated animals were positively related to frequency of aggressive behaviors. This evidence provides a clear link between kisspeptin, testosterone, and aggressive behavior in lizards. Thus, it is likely that kisspeptin plays an important role more broadly in non-mammalian systems in the regulation of reproductive physiology and related behaviors.
神经肽 kisspeptin 及其受体对于下丘脑 - 垂体 - 性腺（HPG）轴的激活和生殖调节至关重要。虽然 kisspeptin 在调节哺乳动物 HPG 轴中的作用已得到充分证实，但对于 kisspeptin 在非哺乳动物物种中激活 HPG 轴及相关行为的功能能力却知之甚少。在此，我们通过实验研究了 kisspeptin 对侧斑蜥蜴（Uta stansburiana）下游睾酮释放以及相关攻击和展示行为的影响。我们发现，用 kisspeptin 进行外源处理会导致循环睾酮水平升高，去势会阻断 kisspeptin 诱导的睾酮增加，并且 kisspeptin 处理动物的睾酮水平与攻击行为频率呈正相关。这一证据明确了蜥蜴中 kisspeptin、睾酮和攻击行为之间的联系。因此，kisspeptin 很可能在更广泛的非哺乳动物系统中，在生殖生理和相关行为的调节中发挥重要作用。
