Neurokinin B, substance P, and neurokinin A work together to trigger puberty by stimulating kisspeptin neurons in the hypothalamus, with loss of tachykinin signaling causing delayed or absent puberty.
NKB triggers puberty onsetLoss of tachykinin signaling causes delayed or absent puberty in both humans and mice
What the researchers found
Tachykinins (NKB, NKA, substance P) initiate puberty by stimulating kisspeptin neuron activation in the hypothalamus, with loss of tachykinin signaling causing delayed/absent puberty in humans and mice.
Why it matters
Understanding the neuropeptide triggers of puberty is essential for diagnosing and treating disorders of pubertal timing, including precocious puberty and delayed sexual maturation.
The numbers in context
NKB primary; tachykinin expression increases pre-puberty; KO: delayed/absent puberty; chronic activation: advanced puberty
How the study worked
Narrative review of human genetic studies, animal knockout models, and pharmacological studies examining tachykinin roles in pubertal development.
Who was studied
Review of tachykinin peptide roles in puberty: NKB, NKA, substance P, and kisspeptin neuron interactions
What this study cannot tell us
Review based largely on animal models; human data mainly from rare genetic conditions; exact mechanisms of tachykinin timing signals remain incompletely understood.
How to read the evidence
Strong genetic evidence from human and animal models showing tachykinins are required for puberty, supported by pharmacological studies in rodents.
When this study was published
Published in 2020; tachykinin-kisspeptin interactions in puberty continue to be actively investigated.
The bigger picture
This connects tachykinin neuropeptides to reproductive biology, showing they serve as a critical timing mechanism for sexual maturation — linking brain development to reproductive competence.
Questions still open
- Could tachykinin receptor modulators treat precocious or delayed puberty?
- What upstream signals trigger the pre-pubertal rise in tachykinin expression?
- How do environmental endocrine disruptors affect tachykinin-mediated puberty timing?
Common questions
What triggers puberty?
Can neuropeptide problems delay puberty?
Read the original research
Tachykinin signaling in the control of puberty onset.
Current opinion in endocrine and metabolic research, 14, 92-96
Citation
Navarro, Víctor M. (2020). Tachykinin signaling in the control of puberty onset.. Current opinion in endocrine and metabolic research, 14, 92-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coemr.2020.06.009