Development of gonadotropin-releasing hormone-1 neurons

Gonadotropin releasing hormone-1 (GnRH-1) neurons, critical for reproduction, are derived from the nasal placode and migrate into the brain during prenatal development. Once within the brain, GnRH-1 cells become integral components of the CNS-pituitary-gonadal axis, essential for reproductive maturation and maintenance of reproductive function in adults. This review focuses on the lineage and development of the GnRH-1 neuroendocrine system. Although the migration of these cells from nose to brain has been well documented in a variety of species, many questions remain concerning the molecules and cues directing GnRH-1 cell differentiation, migration, axon targeting, and establishment and control of GnRH-1 secretion. These processes most likely involve multiple and redundant cues because if these mechanisms fail, reproduction dysfunction will ensue and guarantee that this defect does not remain in the gene pool.