Bioengineering Institute of Chongqing University, Chongqing, China.
State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Macao.
Mol Cell Neurosci. 2018 Apr;88:130-137. doi: 10.1016/j.mcn.2018.01.008. Epub 2018 Feb 3.
The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis plays a critical role in regulating reproductive function. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), which is secreted by the hypothalamus, acts on pituitary gonadotrophs to stimulate luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) synthesis and secretion, ultimately affecting the animal's fertility. MicroRNAs are small, non-coding RNAs that are widely expressed throughout the brain and can fine-tune gene expression post-transcriptionally. Recently, growing evidence has unveiled the central position of miRNAs within a key regulatory process involving GnRH secretion and subsequent activation in the pituitary. Although transcriptional regulation of reproduction has been well studied, the post-transcriptional processes are less well understood. In this review, we elaborate comprehensively on the critical role of miRNAs in the reproductive process, including both temporal and spatial aspects. A better understanding of how miRNAs impact the neuroendocrine system may improve our knowledge of reproduction and provide novel targets for therapeutic development.
下丘脑-垂体-性腺（HPG）轴在调节生殖功能方面起着关键作用。由下丘脑分泌的促性腺激素释放激素（GnRH）作用于垂体性腺细胞，刺激黄体生成素（LH）和卵泡刺激素（FSH）的合成和分泌，最终影响动物的生育能力。microRNAs 是一种小的非编码 RNA，广泛存在于大脑中，可以在后转录水平上精细调节基因表达。最近，越来越多的证据揭示了 miRNA 在涉及 GnRH 分泌和随后在垂体中激活的关键调节过程中的核心地位。虽然生殖的转录调控已经得到了很好的研究，但转录后过程的了解较少。在这篇综述中，我们全面阐述了 miRNA 在生殖过程中的关键作用，包括时间和空间方面。更好地了解 miRNA 如何影响神经内分泌系统可能会提高我们对生殖的认识，并为治疗开发提供新的靶点。
