Multitasking in Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Neuron Dendrites

Karl J. Iremonger, Allan E. Herbison
2014 Neuroendocrinology  
nectivity and function of the upstream neurons that project to GnRH neurons, this review will focus specifically on how GnRH neurons are adapted to integrate and process afferent synaptic inputs. More specifically, we will focus on the dendritic specializations that make this possible. This knowledge has been synthesized through a variety of methods including morphological, electrophysiological, functional imaging and computational studies. Together, this work suggests that GnRH neurons have
more » ... phological features that allow them to perform multiple operations in a unique median eminence projecting fibre. GnRH Neuron Projections: Long and Spiny It should not come as a surprise that GnRH neurons appear and function differently to other central nervous system neurons since the embryonic origins of these neurons are quite unique. Specifically, GnRH neurons are born in the olfactory placode and then migrate into the brain during embryonic development [1] . The cell bodies of GnRH neurons in the adult are scattered along this migration path from the olfactory bulb through to the median eminence. However, the majority of GnRH neurons reside in the medial septum, rostral pre-optic area (rPOA) and anterior hypothalamic area (AHA) [2] . While GnRH neurons from all of these areas project to the median eminence to release GnRH peptide into the portal circulation, the complete morphology of these neurons has only recently been revealed [3] . Abstract Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons integrate synaptic information in their dendrites in order to precisely control GnRH secretion and hence fertility. Recent discoveries concerning the structure and function of GnRH neuron dendrites have shed new light on the control of GnRH neuron excitability and GnRH secretion. This work suggests that GnRH neurons have a unique projection to the median eminence that possesses both dendritic and axonal properties. We propose that this 'dendron' projection allows GnRH neurons to multitask and integrate information in ways that would not be possible in a classically envisioned axon projection.
doi:10.1159/000368364 pmid:25300776 fatcat:a22ydpd7cnboviovoicb5y7ydu