Diurnal regulation of hypothalamic kisspeptin is disrupted during mouse pregnancy

Kisspeptin, the neuropeptide product of the Kiss1 gene, is critical in driving the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis. Kisspeptin neurons in the anteroventral periventricular nucleus (AVPV) and arcuate nucleus (Arc) of the hypothalamus mediate differential effects, with the Arc regulating negative feedback of sex steroids and the AVPV regulating positive feedback, vital for the preovulatory surge and gated under circadian control. We...