Team leader: Valérie Simonneaux
The Neuroendocrine Rhythm in Reproduction team studies the nervous and endocrine mechanisms that control the different rhythms associated with mammalian reproductive activity.
A very large number of biological systems, from cellular activity to physiological functions, present recurring daily and seasonal rhythms which allow the anticipation and adaptation of organisms to changes in their environment. The team’s research projects focus in particular on the role of neuropeptides in the RF-amide, kisspeptin and RFRP3 families:
1) in the control of ovarian rhythms of female mammals (menstrual in humans, estral in rodents) and particularly the occurrence of the preovulatory LH peak at the interface of rest and activity periods (Simonneaux and Piet, 2018). Simonneaux et al., 2017; Beymer et al., 2016; Simonneaux and Bahougne, 2015 for reviews)
2) in the control of the annual rhythms of reproduction, whether they are regulated by the seasons via melatonin, by long-term endogenous phenomena such as the circannual clock, or during gestation by a phenomenon of maternal photoperiodic programming (Henningsen et al., 2016, Hazlerigg et al., 2014, Simonneaux et al., 2013 for reviews).
Team projects
- Neuroendocrine control of annual reproductive rhythms
Béatrice Bothorel, Paul Klosen, François Gauer, Valérie Simonneaux - Circadian control of reproduction in female mammals
Thibault Bahougne, Nathalie Jeandidier, Valérie Simonneaux
Members
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Valérie Simonneaux (Senior researcher) |
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Thibault Bahougne (university hospital practitioner) |
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Béatrice Bothorel (Researcher) |
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François Gauer (Professor) |
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Nathalie Jeandidier (University professor, hospital practitioner) |
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Paul Klosen (Associate professor) |
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Emma Grosjean |
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Vebjørn Melum |
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Marie-Azélie Moralia |
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Louise Sicot |
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Marine Simonneaux |
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Aurélia Ces (engineer assistant) |
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Vincent-Joseph Poirel (Engineer) |
Selected publications
Dardente H, Simonneaux V (2022). GnRH and the photoperiodic control of seasonal reproduction: Delegating the task to kisspeptin and RFRP-3. J Neuroendocrinol 34(5):e13124
Moralia MA, Quignon C, Simonneaux M, Simonneaux V (2022). Environmental disruption of reproductive rhythms. Front Neuroendocrinol 66:100990.
Simonneaux V (2018) A Kiss to drive rhythms in reproduction. Eur J Neurosci doi: 10.1111/ejn.14287
Quignon C, Beymer M, Gauthier K, Gauer F, Simonneaux V (2020). Thyroid hormone receptors are required for the melatonin-dependent control of Rfrp gene expression in mice. The FASEB J 34 (9): 11313-13070
Sáenz de Miera C, Bothorel B, Jaegger C, Simonneaux V*, Hazlerigg D* (*co-last author) (2017). Maternal photoperiod programmes hypothalamic thyroid hormone action via the fetal pituitary gland. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 114(31):8408-8413.
Sáenz de Miera C, Monecke S, Bartzen-Sprauer J, Laran-Chich MP, Pévet P, Hazlerigg D, Simonneaux V (2014). A circannual clock drives expression of genes central for seasonal reproduction. Current Biology, 24(13):1500-1506
Klosen P., Sébert, ME, Laran-Chich MP, Rasri K, Simonneaux V. TSH restores a summer phenotype in photo-inhibited mammals (2013). The FASEB J 27(7):2677-2686
Revel FG, Herwig A, Garidou ML, Dardente, Menet JS, Masson-Pévet M, Simonneaux V, Saboureau M, Pévet P (2007) The circadian clock stops ticking during hibernation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 104:13816-13820
Revel F, Saboureau M, Masson-Pévet M, Pévet P, Mikkelsen JD, Simonneaux V (2006) Kisspeptin mediates the photoperiodic control of reproduction in hamsters. Current Biology, 16: 1730-1735
