Upstream of everything else
The hormonal cascade that governs reproduction runs from the hypothalamus down. Kisspeptin acts at the top of it, on neurons that release GnRH, which in turn drives the pituitary hormones further down the chain.
That makes it a useful research tool. Intervening upstream lets you study how the whole system is regulated rather than what happens when you push on one output, which is what most other approaches do.
An odd name, an odd history
The gene was identified in cancer research as a metastasis suppressor, and named after a local confection. Its role in reproductive signalling was discovered later, when mutations in its receptor were linked to a failure of puberty.
That sequence of events explains why the literature is split across two fields that do not always cite each other. If you are reading about kisspeptin, it is worth checking which of the two a given paper belongs to.
| Gene | KISS1 |
| Receptor | KISS1R, also called GPR54 |
| Position | Upstream of GnRH release |
| First described | In cancer research, later in reproduction |
| Format | Pre-filled peptide pen |
| Purity | ≥ 99% (HPLC) |
| Evidence base | Animal models, receptor genetics, limited human work |
| Category | Research use only |
Laboratory information throughout. None of it amounts to a clinical finding.
What is being studied
Current work examines how kisspeptin neurons integrate signals about energy availability and other inputs before passing them down the chain. That places it at an interesting junction between metabolic and reproductive research.
Human work exists but is limited in scale, and most of what is known about the mechanism comes from animal models and from the genetics of receptor mutations.
Kisspeptin in the catalogue
Each lot passes a 99% HPLC threshold and carries its own analysis sheet.
Where this fits in
Further reading that fills in what this page only touches on.
About Kisspeptin
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