光周期对环青春期雄性根田鼠繁殖发育的作用与光周期信息的母体传递模式

在实验室条件下,采用析因设计,分别以长光照及短光照水平,测定根田鼠母体怀孕期、哺乳期及幼体断乳期光周期信息对环青春期雄性子代繁殖发育的作用,探讨雄性子代对光周期信息的反应及光周期信息的母体传递模式。检验的特定假设为,光周期能刺激和调节田鼠类动物雄体的繁殖发育;在其亲代与子代间存在光周期信息的母体传递。研究结果表明,在根田鼠亲代母体与子代幼体间具有光周期信息的母体传递。雄体的繁殖发育,不仅受母体传递光周期信息的作用,亦受断乳期光周期的影响。断乳后的光周期信息是影响雄体繁殖发育的主要信息。在长期的适应和进化过程中,根田鼠对高寒环境形成特殊的光周期信息传递格局和繁殖策略。     

Photoperiod perception in the blind mole rat (Spalax ehrenbergi, Nehring): involvement of the Harderian gland, atrophied eyes, and melatonin

The involvement of the Harderian gland, atrophied eyes, and melatonin in the perception of photoperiodic changes has been studied in the mole rat, a fossorial blind mammal the thermoregulatory capacity of which is photoperiod-dependent. When transferred from a long photoperiod to a short one, mole rats increase their resistance to cold, a perfectly reversible phenomenon. After 2 weeks under short photoperiod the thermoregulatory capacities of animals without Harderian glands are less than those of the controls. The Harderian gland appears thus to be implicated in the detection of photoperiodic changes. After 5 weeks, however, the Harderianectomized animals had perfectly integrated the photoperiodic change, so demonstrating that other photoreceptor organs exist. The atrophied eyes, which, under these conditions, do not seem to play an important role, are involved when the animals are transferred from short photoperiod to long photoperiod. Melatonin, but not 5-methoxytryptamine, appears to be a crucial compound in such a phenomenon. These results, which demonstrate that in mammals (at least in the mole rat, as in nonmammalian vertebrates), nonocular photoreceptors exist, suggest that the mechanism by which mammals integrate photoperiodic changes is not the same when the animals are transferred from long to short photoperiod as when transferred from short photoperiod to long photoperiod.     

A circadian clock measures photoperiodic time in the male lizard Anolis carolinensis

Summary Photoperiod plays an important role in controlling the annual reproductive cycle of the male lizard Anolis carolinensis. The nature of photoperiodic time measurement in Anolis was investigated by exposing anoles to 3 different kinds of lighting paradigms (resonance, T cycles, and night breaks) to determine if photoperiodic time measurement involves the circadian system. Both the reproductive response and the patterns of entrainment of the activity rhythm were assessed. The results show that the circadian system is involved in photoperiodic time measurement in this species and that a discrete photoinducible phase resides in the latter half of the animals' subjective night. Significantly, the ability of the circadian system to execute photoperiodic time measurement is crucially dependent on the length of the photoperiod. Resonance, T cycle and night break cycles utilizing a photoperiod 10–11 h in duration reveal circadian involvement whereas these same cycles utilizing 6 or 8 h photoperiods do not.Abbreviation CRPP circadian rhythm of photoperiodic sensitivity     

Reception of photoperiodic information by fetal Siberian hamsters: role of the mother's pineal gland

The rate of reproductive development in juvenile male Siberian hamsters is strongly influenced by daylength (photoperiod). Recent studies indicate that reception of photoperiodic cues begins during fetal life. The present experiments yielded a further demonstration that developing male Siberian hamsters receive information about the photoperiod to which their mother is exposed during pregnancy. The possibility that photoperiodic information is transmitted from mother to young after birth was investigated by cross-fostering young gestated on 12L and 16L to mothers from the other photoperiod. Litters were cross-fostered on the day of birth and then were transferred, along with their foster mothers, to 14L. We found no influence of the mother after birth, indicating that transmission of photoperiodic information from mother to young must occur during gestation. To determine if the pineal gland of the mother is required for this response, adult females were pinealectomized or sham-operated and paired with intact males in 12L, 14L, or 16L. After parturition parents and offspring were exposed to 14L. The influence of prenatal photoperiod on postnatal testicular development in 14L was blocked by pinealectomy of the mother. Postnatal testicular development was retarded in offspring that experienced a photoperiod transfer from either 15L to 14L or 8L to 12L at birth. In contrast, the inhibitory effect of a transfer from 16L to 14L at birth was abolished when juvenile males were exposed to a single long photoperiod (16.3 h light) at age 17-21 days and then were returned to 14L.     

Photoperiodism in Neurospora crassa

Plants and animals use day or night length for seasonal control of reproduction and other biological functions. Overwhelming evidence suggests that this photoperiodic mechanism relies on a functional circadian system. Recent progress has defined how flowering time in plants is regulated by photoperiodic control of output pathways, but the underlying mechanisms of photoperiodism remain to be described. The authors investigate photoperiodism in a genetic model system for circadian rhythms research, Neurospora crassa. They find that both propagation and reproduction respond systematically to photoperiod. Furthermore, a nonreproductive light-regulated function is also enhanced under certain photoperiodic conditions. All of these photoperiodic responses require a functional circadian clock, in that they are absent in a clock mutant. Night break experiments show that measuring night length is one of the mechanisms used for photoperiod assessment. This represents the first formal report of photoperiodism in the fungi.     

How do the suprachiasmatic nuclei of the hypothalamus integrate photoperiodic information?

The suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus (SCN) plays an essential role in the generation and maintenance of circadian rhythms in mammals. The SCN activity is also dependent upon the photoperiod. The duration of the SCN sensitive phase to light, in term of Fos induction, is variable and tied to the length of the night. The question is how and by which pathways can photoperiod influence SCN? It is possible following the theoretical model of evening and morning component of the clock that the SCN build itself the photoperiodic signal. That the SCN integrate the photoperiodic information through indirect neural or neuroendocrine pathways is also to consider. Data in favor of these different interpretations are presented.     

Why is the number of days required for induction of adult diapause in the linden bug Pyrrhocoris apterus fewer in the larval than in the adult stage?

Adult females of Pyrrhocoris apterus, programmed for diapause by short-day (SD) photoperiod and those programmed for reproduction by long-day (LD) retain photoperiodic information in continuous darkness (DD) until death. However, if the interruption of SD by DD is made in the course of diapause programming in adults, then the incidence of diapause depends on the number of SD cycles received before DD, with no evidence that the photoperiodic clock is free-running at DD to complete diapause induction. These results indicate that the photoperiodic clock is stopped after transfer to DD and the information accumulated before transfer to DD is maintained. Diapause programming in the adult stage requires 9–10 SD cycles to induce diapause in 80% of individuals. However, if the diapause programming starts after ecdysis of LD-larvae to the last instar, only 3 SD cycles before transfer to DD are required for diapause in 80% of individuals. Surprisingly, if the newly ecdysed last instar LD-larvae, sensitive to photoperiod, are transferred to DD (thus they did not experience any SD), diapause occurs in 40% of the individuals. Thus, diapause ‘information’ is present in LD-larvae and is responsible for a lower number of SD required for diapause induction in the larval than in the adult stage.     

Photoperiodic control of seasonality in birds

This review examines how birds use the annual cycle in photoperiod to ensure that seasonal events--breeding, molt, and song production--happen at the appropriate time of year. Differences in breeding strategies between birds and mammals reflect basic differences in biology. Avian breeding seasons tend to be of shorter duration and more asymmetric with respect to changes in photoperiod. Breeding seasons can occur at the same time each year (predictable) or at different times (opportunistic), depending on the food resource. In all cases, there is evidence for involvement of photoperiodic control, nonphotoperiodic control, and endogenous circannual rhythmicity. In predictable breeders (most nontropical species), photoperiod is the predominant proximate factor. Increasing photoperiods of spring stimulate secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and consequent gonadal maturation. However, breeding ends before the return of short photoperiods. This is the consequence of a second effect of long photoperiods--the induction of photorefractoriness. This dual role of long photoperiods is required to impart the asymmetry in breeding seasons. Typically, gonadal regression through photorefractoriness is associated with a massive decrease in hypothalamic GnRH, essentially a reversal to a pre-pubertal condition. Although breeding seasons are primarily determined by photoperiodic control of GnRH neurons, prolactin may be important in determining the exact timing of gonadal regression. In tropical and opportunistic breeders, endogenous circannual rhythmicity may be more important. In such species, the reproductive system remains in a state of "readiness to breed" for a large part of the year, with nonphotic cues acting as proximate cues to time breeding. Circannual rhythmicity may result from a temporal sequence of different physiological states rather than a molecular or cellular mechanism as in circadian rhythmicity. Avian homologues of mammalian clock genes Per2, Per3, Clock, bmal1, and MOP4 have been cloned. At the molecular level, avian circadian clocks appear to function in a similar manner to those of mammals. Photoperiodic time measurement involves interaction between a circadian rhythm of photoinducibility and, unlike mammals, deep brain photoreceptors. The exact location of these remains unclear. Although the eyes and pineal generate a daily cycle in melatonin, this photoperiodic signal is not used to time seasonal breeding. Instead, photoperiodic responses appear to involve direct interaction between photoreceptors and GnRH neurons. Thyroid hormones are required in some way for this system to function. In addition to gonadal function, song production is also affected by photoperiod. Several of the nuclei involved in the song system show seasonal changes in volume, greater in spring than in the fall. The increase in volume is, in part, due to an increase in cell number as a result of neurogenesis. There is no seasonal change in the birth of neurons but rather in their survival. Testosterone and melatonin appear to work antagonistically in regulating volume.     

Light-break experiments and photoperiodic time measurement in the spider mite Tetranychus urticae

To explain photoperiodic induction of diapause in the spider mite Tetranychus urticae (Acarina: Tetranychidae) a theoretical model was developed, consisting of two components, viz. a “clock” and a photoperiodic “counter” mechanism. The clock executes photoperiodic time measurement according to hourglass kinetics; the counter accumulates the photoperiodic information contained in a number of successive $\text{light}\text{dark}$ cycles by adding up the number of “long” and “short” nights experienced by the developmental stages of the mites sensitive to the photoperiod. The influence of the circadian system on photoperiodic induction is interpreted as an inhibitory effect exerted on the expression of the photoperiodic response; this effect is encountered only in certain photoperiodic regimes, where the circadian system and the photoperiod are out of “resonance” with each other. This “hourglass timer oscillator counter model”, devised to give a theoretical explanation of photoperiodic time measurement, the summation of photoperiodic information, and the influence of the circadian system on photoperiodic induction, proved to be consistent with experimental results obtained with T. urticae in both symmetrical and asymmetrical “skeleton” photoperiods, the latter based on diel as well as non-diel $\text{light}\text{dark}$ cycles.     

Photoperiodic responses of a northern and southern ecotype of black cottonwood

Photoperiod is an important signal controlling the onset of dormancy in perennial plants. Short days typically induce growth cessation, the initiation of cold acclimation, the formation of a terminal bud. bud dormancy and other adaptive responses. Photoperiodic ecotypes have evolved in many species with large latitudinal distributions. The photoperiodic responses of two northern (53°35′ and 53°50′N) and two southern (34°10′ and 40°32′N) genotypes of black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa Torr. & Gray) were characterized by growing trees under a range of photoperiods in the greenhouse and growth chamber. Short days induced bud set in both ecotypes. resulting in trees with fewer leaves and less height growth than trees grown under long days. Short days also enhanced anthocyanin accumulation in the northern ecotype and decreased branching of the southernmost genotype. Two aspects of the photoperiodic response were evaluated for each trail: critical photoperiod. which was defined as the longest photoperiod that elicited a short-day response, and photoperiodic sensitivity, which was defined as the change in response per unit change in photoperiod. For each of the traits analyzed, the northern ecotype had a longer critical photoperiod and greater photoperiodic sensitivity than did the southern ecotype. The short critical photoperiod and reduced photoperiodic sensitivity of the southern ecotype resulted in a significant delay in bud set compared to that of the northern ecotype, even under a 9-h photoperiod. Typically, photoperiodic ecotypes have been characterized as having different critical photoperiods. Ecotypic differences in photoperiodic sensitivity, however, indicate that differences in the photoperiodic response curves cannot be completely described by the critical photoperiod alone. These results also suggest that the critical photoperiod. photoperiodic sensitivity and speed of bud set have a common physiological basis. Bud set occurred earlier hi the northern ecotype primarily because bud scale leaves were initiated earlier. For one of the northern genotypes, leaf primordia that were initialed under long days subsequently differentiated into bud scale leaves after the trees were transferred to a 9-h photoperiod. This demonstrates that primordia initiated under long days are not necessarily committed to becoming foliage leaves. The response to photoperiod did not differ appreciably between the greenhouse and growth chamber conditions that were tested.     

Distribution of photoperiodic receptors in the compound eyes of the bean bug, Riptortus clavatus

  The bean bug, Riptortus clavatus shows a long-day photoperiodic response with respect to the control of adult diapause. The location of photoreceptors for photoperiodism was examined in this species by complete or partial removal of photoreceptor organs. Even after one compound eye or both ocelli were removed, the insects were sensitive to photoperiod. After both compound eyes were removed, however, the insects became reproductive regardless of the photoperiod. Therefore, photoreceptors for photoperiodism were not in the ocelli but in the compound eyes. To clarify whether ommatidia in compound eyes have a regional difference in reception of photoperiod, sensitivity to photoperiod was examined after one compound eye and a part of the contralateral one were removed. Only when the central region of compound eyes was removed did the insects lose sensitivity to photoperiod. It is concluded that the ommatidia in the central region of compound eyes play a principal role in the reception of photoperiod. Accepted: 23 September 1996     

Photoperiodic regulation of cold tolerance and expression levels of regucalcin gene in Drosophila montana

Temperature-induced plasticity of cold tolerance has been reported in many insect species, but cold tolerance can also be affected by changes in day (or night) length. In the present study we elucidate the direct and indirect effects of photoperiod on the cold tolerance of females of two Drosophila montana strains--one which possesses a robust photoperiodic diapause and another which does not. In the diapause-strain the time needed for recovery from chill coma showed a positive correlation with day length, but diapause itself played only a minor role in photoperiodic acclimation. The strain that was not able to enter to diapause as a response to day length also lacked photoperiodic cold acclimation ability indicating that this strain has deficiencies in its photoperiodic time measurement system. In the diapause-strain, the expression level of regucalcin gene was more than two times higher in diapausing than in non-diapausing females maintained in a single photoperiod, but day length per se did not cause significant changes in expression levels of this gene in either of the strains. In the non-diapausing strain this gene showed no expression changes in any comparison. Overall, the study shows that a decrease in day length can induce cold acclimation in D. montana, while changes in regucalcin expression are linked with photoperiodic diapause.     

Comparative analysis of the molecular basis of photoperiodic signal transduction in vertebrates

In temperate zones, the reproductive physiology of most vertebrates is controlled by changes in photoperiod. Mechanisms for the regulation of photoperiodic gonadal responses are known to differ between mammals and birds: in mammals, melatonin is the photoperiodic signal messenger, whereas in birds, photoperiodic information is received by deep brain photoreceptors. Recently, the molecular mechanism of photoperiodism has been revealed by studies on Japanese quail, which exhibit a most remarkable responsiveness to photoperiod among vertebrates, and molecular cascades involved in photoperiodism have been elucidated. Long-day stimulus induces expression of the β-subunit of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH-β) in the pars tuberalis (PT) of the pituitary gland, and TSH derived from the PT regulates reciprocal switching of genes encoding types 2 and 3 deiodinases (Dio2 and Dio3, respectively) in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) by retrograde action. Dio2 locally converts prohormone thyroxine (T(4)) to bioactive triiodothyronine (T(3)) in the MBH, which subsequently stimulates the gonadal axis. These events have been confirmed to occur in mammals with seasonal breeding, such as hamsters and sheep, suggesting that similar mechanisms are involved among various vertebrates. In addition, nonphotoperiodic mice also appeared to possess the same molecular mechanisms at the hypothalamo-hypophysial level. It has been noted that melatonin regulates the above-mentioned key genes (Dio2, Dio3, and TSH-β) in mammals, while photoperiod directly regulates these genes in birds. Thus, the input pathway of photoperiod is different between mammals and birds (i.e., melatonin versus light); however, the essential mechanisms are conserved among these vertebrates.     

大豆开花后光周期反应的研究

利用中国大豆主要生态区的生育期不同的代表品种研究了大豆（Ｇｌｙｃｉｎｅ ｍ ａｘ （Ｌ．）Ｍｅｒｒ．）开花后对光照长度的反应． 结果表明,不同成熟期的大豆品种开花后普遍存在着对光照长度的反应．这种反应属于典型的光周期现象,而不是由温度的替代作用、光合时间的改变或前期短日后效应引起的．开花后光周期反应不仅存在于大豆的花荚期,而且存在于鼓粒期．研究认为∶大豆开花结实对光周期的需求是一个连续过程;光周期对大豆生育期的调控作用存在于出苗至成熟的全过程;光周期诱导开花和促进成熟的作用有一定的共同性;光周期诱导效果具有持效性和可逆性     

Responses to stepwise photoperiodic changes for the larval diapause of the Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella

Abstract The Indian meal moth Plodia interpunctella Hübner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) diapauses as a last‐instar (fifth) larva. At 30 °C, no larvae enter diapause under any photoperiodic conditions; at 25 °C, the photoperiodic response curve is a long‐day type with a critical length of approximately 13 h light; at 20 °C, diapause is induced moderately even under long days (> 13 h). Cumulative effects of short days or long days on diapause induction are determined by alternate, stepwise and gradually changing regimes of photoperiod at 25 °C. When the larvae are repeatedly exposed to LD 16 : 8 h and LD 12 : 12 h photoperiods every other day, the incidence of diapause is 37%. When the larvae are placed under an LD 16 : 8 h photoperiod for 2 days and then under an LD 12 : 12 h photoperiod for 1 day, it is 38 %. Exposure to an LD 16 : 8 h photoperiod for 1 day and then to an LD 12 : 12 h photoperiod for 2 days induces only 15% diapause. This may indicate that the photoperiodic information is not accumulated in a simple fashion despite the generally accepted hypothesis (i.e. photoperiodic counter). Larvae exposed to an LD 16 : 8 h photoperiod for 5 days after oviposition express a very high incidence of diapause even under short days between an LD 2 : 22 h and LD 12 : 12 h photoperiod. After 10 days exposure to an LD 16 : 8 h photoperiod, however, the short day does not induce diapause strongly. On the other hand, an LD 12 : 12 h photoperiod in the early larval life is highly effective in the induction of diapause. A gradual increase or decrease of photoperiod (2 min day^?1) shows that the direction of photoperiodic change does not affect the diapause determination.     

Identification of a novel gene <Emphasis Type="Italic">ef7</Emphasis> conferring an extremely long basic vegetative growth phase in rice

A late heading-time mutant line, HS276, which was induced by gamma-irradiation of seeds of the japonica rice (Oryza sativa L.) variety Gimbozu, exhibits an extremely long basic vegetative growth phase (BVP). A genetic analysis using the F₂ population from the cross between HS276 and Gimbozu revealed that the late heading of HS276 is governed by a single recessive mutant gene. The subsequent analysis on heading responses of HS276 and Gimbozu to four photoperiods (12, 13, 14, and 15 h) and to the photoperiodic transfer treatment from a short photoperiod to a long photoperiod revealed that the mutant gene confers an extremely long BVP and increases photoperiod sensitivity under long photoperiod (14 and 15 h). The BVP durations of HS276 and Gimbozu were estimated at 30.1 and 16.0 days, respectively; the mutant gene, compared with its wild type allele, elongates the duration of BVP by 14 days. Linkage analysis showed that the mutant gene is located in the 129 kb region between the two INDEL markers, INDELAP0399_6 and INDELAP3487_2, on the distal part of the short arm of chromosome 6. None of the other BVP genes are located in this region; therefore, we declared this a newly detected mutant gene and designated it ef7. A recently established program to breed rice suitable for low latitudes, where short photoperiodic conditions continue throughout the year, aims to develop varieties with extremely long BVPs and weak photoperiod sensitivities; the mutant gene ef7, therefore, will be quite useful in these programs because it confers an extremely long BVP and little enhances photoperiod sensitivity under short photoperiod.     

Relative photorefractoriness, prolactin, and reproductive regression in a flexibly breeding sonoran desert passerine, the rufous-winged sparrow, Aimophila carpalis

We tested the hypothesis that adult male rufous-winged sparrows, Aimophila carpalis, exhibit relative photorefractoriness. This condition results in partial loss of sensitivity to photoperiod as a reproductive stimulus after prolonged exposure to long photoperiods and is similar to the mammalian condition called photoperiodic memory. Captive birds were exposed either to 8 h of light/16 h of dark per day (8L) or to 16L for 11 weeks and were then exposed either to 8L, 13L, 14L, or 16L. Testicular diameter, plasma luteinizing hormone (LH), and plasma prolactin (PRL) were measured to assess reproductive system activity in response to photostimulation. In free-living birds, testicular diameter, plasma LH, and PRL were compared in birds caught in September in a year when birds were breeding and in a year when birds were not breeding to further evaluate the role of PRL in the termination of seasonal breeding. Testes completely developed after transfer from 8L to 14L or to 16L and partially developed after transfer from 8L to 13L. However, after 11 weeks of 16L exposure, transfer to 14L caused partial regression and transfer to 13L caused complete regression of the testes. Plasma LH increased in all birds that were transferred from 8L to a longer photoperiod. PRL showed a weak response to longer photoperiod treatment and was elevated in birds after chronic 16L exposure in comparison to birds exposed to chronic 8L. These data indicate that male rufous-winged sparrows lose sensitivity to photoperiod after long photoperiod exposure consistent with the relative photorefractoriness and photoperiodic memory models. Lower PRL in birds that developed testes on 13L and 14L compared to birds that regressed testes on 13L and 14L are consistent with the hypothesis that PRL regulates relative photorefractoriness. However, PRL does not appear to regulate interannual differences in the timing of testicular regression.     

Photoperiodic modulation of circadian rhythms in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus

The waveform and the free-running period of circadian rhythms in constant conditions are often modulated by preceding lighting conditions. We have examined the modulatory effect of variable length of light phase of a 24h light cycle on the ratio of activity (alpha) and rest phase (rho) as well as on the free-running period of the locomotor rhythm in the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus. When experienced the longer light phases, the alpha/rho-ratio was smaller and the free-running period was shorter. The magnitude of changes in alpha/rho-ratio was dependent on the number of cycles exposed, while the free-running period was changed by a single exposure, suggesting that there are separate regulatory mechanisms for the waveform and the free-running period. The neuronal activity of the optic lobe showed the alpha/rho-ratio changing with the preceding photoperiod. When different photoperiodic conditions were given to each of the two optic lobe pacemakers, the alpha/rho-ratio of a single pacemaker was rather intermediate between those of animals treated with either of the two conditions. These results suggest that the storage of the photoperiodic information occurs at least in part in the optic lobe pacemaker, and that the mutual interaction between the bilateral optic lobe pacemakers is involved in the photoperiodic modulation.     

Inhibition of hibernation by exercise is not affected by intergeniculate leaflets lesion in hamsters

The circadian clock of mammals, located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus, has been demonstrated to integrate day length change from long (LP) to short photoperiod (SP). This photoperiodic change induces in Syrian hamsters a testicular regression through melatonin action, a phenomenon that is inhibited when hamsters have free access to a wheel. The intergeniculate leaflets (IGL), which modulate the integration of photoperiod by the SCN, are a key structure in the circadian system, conveying nonphotic information such as those induced by novelty-induced wheel running activity. We tested in hamsters transferred from LP to a cold SP the effects of wheel running activity on a photoperiod-dependent behavior, hibernation. Lesions of the IGL were done to test the role of this structure in the inhibition induced by exercise of photoperiod integration by the clock. We show that wheel running activity actually inhibits hibernation not only in sham-operated animals, but also in hamsters with a bilateral IGL lesion (IGLX). In contrast, IGL-X hamsters without a wheel integrate slower to the SP but hibernate earlier compared with sham-operated animals. Moreover, some hibernation characteristics are affected by IGL lesion. Throughout the experiment at 7 degrees C, IGL-X hamsters were in hypothermia during 18% of the experiment vs. 32% for sham-operated hamsters. Taken together, these data show that the IGL play a modulatory role in the integration of photoperiodic cues and modulate hibernation, but they are not implicated in the inhibition of hibernation induced by wheel running activity.     

Kisspeptin and the seasonal control of reproduction in hamsters

Reproduction is a complex and energy demanding function. When internal and external conditions might impair reproductive success (negative energy balance, stress, harsh season) reproductive activity has to be repressed. Recent evidence suggests that these inhibitory mechanisms operate on Kiss1-expressing neurons, which were recently shown to be implicated in the regulation of GnRH release. Hamsters are seasonal rodents which are sexually active in long photoperiod and quiescent in short photoperiod. The photoperiodic information is transmitted to the reproductive system by melatonin, a pineal hormone whose secretion is adjusted to night length. The photoperiodic variation in circulating melatonin has been shown to synchronize reproductive activity with seasons, but the mechanisms involved in this effect of melatonin were so far unknown. Recently we have observed that Kiss1 mRNA level in the arcuate nucleus of the Syrian hamster is lower in short photoperiod, when animals are sexually quiescent. Notably, intracerebroventricular infusion of Kiss1 gene product, kisspeptin, in hamsters kept in short photoperiod is able to override the inhibitory photoperiod and to reactivate sexual activity. The inhibition of Kiss1 expression in short photoperiod is driven by melatonin because pinealectomy prevents decrease in Kiss1 mRNA level in short photoperiod and melatonin injection in long photoperiod down regulates Kiss1 expression. Whether melatonin acts directly on arcuate Kiss1 expressing neurons or mediates its action via interneurons is the subject of the current investigations.