Kisspeptin-10

CAS 374675-21-5

Kisspeptin-10 is a ten-residue fragment that retains the ability to activate the kisspeptin receptor. Its name tells us the length, but not the size of the physiological network it can influence. Kisspeptin signaling sits upstream of gonadotropin-releasing hormone, which in turn helps control pituitary hormone release. A measured rise in a downstream hormone can therefore be evidence about a relay, rather than a direct effect on every tissue in the pathway. Human studies found that responses depended on the hormonal context of the people studied. A short experimental response is also distinct from an outcome such as improved fertility. The molecule makes it possible to investigate how a defined signal is interpreted by an endocrine system whose state can change over time.