Mouse models to study the central regulation of puberty

At puberty, the mammalian reproductive axis is activated by neuroendocrine events within the hypothalamus that initiate pulsatile secretion of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) to activate the pituitary/gonadal axis. Thus, puberty is critically dependent on the integrity of GnRH neuronal activity. Defects in the migration of GnRH neurons into the forebrain during development or in GnRH synthesis or release prevent pubertal maturation of the reproductive axis. Both naturally occurring and genetically modified mutant mice have provided valuable information about the cellular and molecular events required for normal pubertal development. This review focuses specifically on the molecules that have been identified from studies in mutant mice that act centrally to control entry into puberty.