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**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** A DELAY IN PUBERTY ONSET CAN LEAD TO DECREASED PRODUCTIVITY IN DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK, ULTIMATELY REDUCING PROFITABILITY TO THE PRODUCER. PUBERTY IS CONTROLLED BY CHANGES IN THE ACTIVITY OF NEURONS WITHIN AN AREA OF THE BRAIN CALLED THE HYPOTHALAMUS. HOWEVER, THE IDENTITY OF THOSE NEURAL SYSTEMS INVOLVED IS NOT COMPLETELY KNOWN, PARTICULARLY IN LIVESTOCK SPECIES. THIS PROJECT EXAMINES THE ROLE OF TWO SETS OF NEURONS, THOSE CONTAINING KISSPEPTIN AND THOSE CONTAINING NEUROKININ B, BOTH HAVE WHICH HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE CRITICAL FOR PUBERTY ONSET IN HUMANS. TO DETERMINE THEIR ROLE, WE WILL DELETE NEURONS IN SPECIFIC AREAS OF THE BRAIN THAT RESPOND TO EITHER KISSPEPTIN OR NEUROKININ B AND DETERMINE THE EFFECT ON PUBERTY ONSET IN FEMALE SHEEP. WE WILL ALSO DETERMINE IF THESE NEUROPEPTIDES AND THEIR RECEPTORS CHANGE IN COORDINATION WITH PUBERTY ONSET WITHIN OTHER NEURONS OF THE BRAIN. OUTCOMES OF THESE STUDIES WILL HELP US DETERMINE THE NEURONS WITHIN THE BRAIN THAT REGULATE PUBERTY ONSET IN DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK AND PROVIDE INFORMATION FOR FUTURE WORK EXAMINING WAYS TO INSURE PROPER TIMIING OF PUBERTY.

$633,000FY2022National Institute of Food and AgricultureUSDA

West Virginia University Research Corporation, Morgantown WV

Investigators

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**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** A DELAY IN PUBERTY ONSET CAN LEAD TO DECREASED PRODUCTIVITY IN DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK, ULTIMATELY REDUCING PROFITABILITY TO THE PRODUCER. PUBERTY IS CONTROLLED BY CHANGES IN THE ACTIVITY OF NEURONS WITHIN AN AREA OF THE BRAIN CALLED THE HYPOTHALAMUS. HOWEVER, THE IDENTITY OF THOSE NEURAL SYSTEMS INVOLVED IS NOT COMPLETELY KNOWN, PARTICULARLY IN LIVESTOCK SPECIES. THIS PROJECT EXAMINES THE ROLE OF TWO SETS OF NEURONS, THOSE CONTAINING KISSPEPTIN AND THOSE CONTAINING NEUROKININ B, BOTH HAVE WHICH HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE CRITICAL FOR PUBERTY ONSET IN HUMANS. TO DETERMINE THEIR ROLE, WE WILL DELETE NEURONS IN SPECIFIC AREAS OF THE BRAIN THAT RESPOND TO EITHER KISSPEPTIN OR NEUROKININ B AND DETERMINE THE EFFECT ON PUBERTY ONSET IN FEMALE SHEEP. WE WILL ALSO DETERMINE IF THESE NEUROPEPTIDES AND THEIR RECEPTORS CHANGE IN COORDINATION WITH PUBERTY ONSET WITHIN OTHER NEURONS OF THE BRAIN. OUTCOMES OF THESE STUDIES WILL HELP US DETERMINE THE NEURONS WITHIN THE BRAIN THAT REGULATE PUBERTY ONSET IN DOMESTIC LIVESTOCK AND PROVIDE INFORMATION FOR FUTURE WORK EXAMINING WAYS TO INSURE PROPER TIMIING OF PUBERTY. · GrantIndex