Dlk1-knockout mice reach puberty despite lower kisspeptin and leptin

The wire

1. 01In Dlk1 knockout mice, females reached puberty at the same age as controls despite lower body weight, serum leptin, hypothalamic Socs3 and mediobasal hypothalamic Kiss1 mRNA; males had delayed preputial separation.
2. 02Kisspeptin signalling is a beat peptide, and the data complicate the assumption that pubertal onset requires a given level of hypothalamic Kiss1 expression.
3. 03This is a mouse knockout study in Journal of Neuroendocrinology; mechanisms linking peripheral Dlk1 to the reproductive axis remain undefined.

From the source

Dlk1-deficient mice achieve puberty despite low body weight and low levels of leptin and kisspeptin

Journal of neuroendocrinology · 2026 Sep · Macedo DB, Pereira SA, Wang M et al.