During the course of evolution, genomes acquire novel genetic elements as sources of
functional and phenotypic diversity, including new genes that originated in recent evolution …

Kisspeptin–GPR54 signaling in the hypothalamus is required for reproduction and fertility in
mammals. Kiss1 neurons are key regulators of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) …

How different organs in the body sense growth perturbations in distant tissues to coordinate
their size during development is poorly understood. Here we mutate an invertebrate orphan …

The sudden appearance of the neural crest and neurogenic placodes in early branching
vertebrates has puzzled biologists for over a century. These embryonic tissues contribute to …

Fruit flies have eight identified Drosophila insulin-like peptides (DILPs) that are involved in
the regulation of carbohydrate concentrations in hemolymph as well as in accumulation of …

The relaxin-3 gene was identified in 2001 by searching the human genome database for
homologues of the relaxin hormone, and was subsequently discovered to encode a highly …

Background Adolescence is a period characterized by major biological development, which
may be associated with changes in DNA methylation (DNA-M). However, it is unknown to …

The common ancestor of all vertebrates had a highly sophisticated nervous system, but
questions remain about the evolution of vertebrate neural cell types. The amphioxus, a …

From mammals to fish, reproduction is driven by luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-
stimulating hormone (FSH) temporally secreted from the pituitary gland. Teleost fish are an …

Relaxin-3 is a neuropeptide that is implicated in the regulation of stress responses and
memory. The elucidation of its precise physiological role (s) has, however, been hampered …