KissPeptin-10: the reproductive axis switch studied via the GPR54 receptor
An active fragment of the KISS1 protein, this decapeptide is described in the literature as the upstream trigger of pulsatile GnRH secretion.
Contents
KissPeptin-10 is a decapeptide corresponding to the active fragment of the KISS1 protein (residues 112-121 of the human sequence). Its discovery profoundly reshaped the academic understanding of upstream regulation of the reproductive axis.
An endogenous agonist of the GPR54 receptor
The peptide is described as the principal endogenous agonist of the G protein-coupled receptor GPR54 (also known as KISS1R). The literature (PMID 16309735) establishes that the KISS1/GPR54 pathway functions as a physiological switch: without functional signaling through this receptor, the gonadotropic axis remains silent in the models studied.
From GnRH to gonadotropins
Upstream in the cascade, GPR54 activation triggers pulsatile GnRH secretion by hypothalamic neurons. Downstream, this pulsatility governs the pituitary release of LH and FSH (PMID 23015291, 20016824). It is this position as a trigger — rather than an effector — that explains the literature's interest in this peptide as a tool for studying neuroendocrine pulsatility.
Cellular signaling described
At the cellular level, studies (PMID 18483150, 18948403) report activation of the phospholipase C / calcium pathway, with a rise in intracellular calcium and regulation of several ion channels in GnRH neurons.
A role described beyond reproduction
The literature (PMID 29643834, 16940711) also describes an involvement of the kisspeptinergic pathway in puberty regulation and in the coupling between energy status and reproductive function. However, no direct activity on GLP-1, GIP, or GH receptors is reported: specificity for GPR54 remains the dominant trait described.
