Moenter Lab

The overall goal of our laboratory's research is to determine the mechanisms underlying how the brain regulates fertility. This is accomplished through episodic secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). GnRH neurons form the final common pathway for the central regulation of reproduction in all vertebrates. The pulsatile pattern of GnRH release is critical for release of gonadotropic hormones by the pituitary gland. Further, the frequency of GnRH release changes throughout the female reproductive cycle and these changes are prerequisite for shifting the relative levels of the two gonadotropins to allow for ovarian follicular development and maturation. Disruptions in GnRH release contribute to several forms of infertility including polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). PCOS is the number one presentation for infertility, affecting ~20% of all women by the current Rotterdam Diagnostic Criteria; about 10% of all women have a form of PCOS with high androgens, which we study.

Despite its importance, the mechanisms underlying GnRH release and its regulation by a variety of factors that affect fertility (e.g., development, stress, nutrition) are not well understood. We use transgenic mouse models in which the reporter gene green fluorescent protein (GFP) is genetically targeted to GnRH neurons or other neurons in the brain that are important for controlling these cells, such as neurons that produce kisspeptin and astroglia. These mice enable us to identify living cells in brain slices and study them using electrophysiological, viral, chemogenetic, imaging and molecular approaches. Work in the lab ranges from pretty nerdy biophysics and modeling, through whole-animal reproductive studies.