Neurobiological bases underlying the control of the onset of puberty in the rhesus monkey: A representative higher primate

The purpose of this article is to discuss our understanding of the neurobio logical mechanisms that govern the timing of the onset of puberty in the rh esus monkey, a representative higher primate, and, whenever possible, to pl ace findings obtained from studies of this macaque in perspective with thos e for the human situation. Specifically, the dynamics in the postnatal onto geny of hypothalamic GnRH gene expression and release are described, and th e roles of neuropeptide Y and gamma -aminobutyric acid in imposing the rest raint on pulsatile GnRH release during juvenile development are examined. F inally, the hypothesis that circulating leptin provides the signal that tim es the reaugmentation of pulsatile GnRH release at the termination of juven ile development, and therefore triggers the onset of primate puberty, is di scussed.