Accessibility Skip to Global Navigation Skip to Local Navigation Skip to Content Skip to Search Skip to Site Map Menu

Herbison Laboratory

Research interests

Work in the Herbison Laboratory, at the Centre for Neuroendocrinology, is focused upon understanding the properties and functioning of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons. These neurons are responsible for the initiation of puberty and the subsequent maintenance of reproductive function in adult males and females.

We are particularly interested in defining how:

  • GnRH neurons generate pulsatile LH secretion
  • Gonadal steroid hormones regulate the activity of GnRH neurons
  • GnRH neurons become activated at puberty

Clinical conditions

  • Infertility

Professor Allan Herbison's researcher profile

List of publications for Allan Herbison (Google Scholar)

Herbison Laboratory staff & students

Isaiah Cheong_webIsaiah Cheong, Assistant Research Fellow
Email: isaiah.cheong@otago.ac.nz

Jenny Clarkson_webJenny Clarkson, Research Fellow
Role of RP3V kisspeption neurons in fertility
Email jenny.clarkson@otago.ac.nz

Su Han_webSu Young Han, Research Fellow
Role of arcuate nucleus kisspeptin neurons in fertility
Email su.han@otago.ac.nz

Sabine Hessler_webSabine Hessler, Postdoctoral Fellow
Arcuate nucleus electrophysiology and fertility
Email sabine.hessler@otago.ac.nz

Xinhai Liu_webXinhuai Liu, Senior Research Fellow
Electrophysiological analysis of GnRH neuron network
Email xinhuai.liu@otago.ac.nz

Jamie McQuillan_webJamie McQuillan, Postdoctoral Fellow
Role of arcuate nucleus kisspeptin neurons in fertility
Email jamie.mcquillan@otago.ac.nz

Rob Porteous_webRobert Porteous, Scientific Officer
Role of RP3V estrogen signalling in fertility
Email robert.porteous@otago.ac.nz

Shel Hwa Yeo_webShel Yeo, Postdoctoral Fellow
Deciphering the GnRH neuron dendron for fertility control
Email shel.yeo@otago.ac.nz

Visit Our people for an alphabetical list of all Centre for Neuroendocrinology staff.

Publications

Clarkson, J., Han, S. Y., Piet, R., McLennan, T., Kane, G. M., Ng, J., Porteous, R. W., Kim, J. S., … Iremonger, K. J., & Herbison, A. E. (2017). Definition of the hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator in mice. PNAS, 114(47), E10216-E10223. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1713897114

Herbison, A. E. (2016). Control of puberty onset and fertility by gonadotropin-releasing hormone neurons. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 12, 452-466. doi: 10.1038/nrendo.2016.70

Han, S. Y., McLennan, T., Czieselsky, K., & Herbison, A. E. (2015). Selective optogenetic activation of arcuate kisspeptin neurons generates pulsatile luteinizing hormone secretion. PNAS, 112(42), 13109-13114. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1512243112

Campos, P., & Herbison, A. E. (2014). Optogenetic activation of GnRH neurons reveals minimal requirements for pulsatile luteinizing hormone secretion. PNAS, 111(51), 18387-18392. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1415226112

Kirilov, M., Clarkson, J., Liu, X., Roa, J., Campos, P., Porteous, R., … Herbison, A. E. (2013). Dependence of fertility on kisspeptin—Gpr54 signalling at the GnRH neuron. Nature Communications, 4, 2492. doi: 10.1038/ncomms3492

Edited Book - Research

Herbison, A. E., & Plant, T. M. (Eds.). (2018). The GnRH neuron and its control. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell, 517p. doi: 10.1002/9781119233275

^ Top of page

Chapter in Book - Research

Piet, R., & Herbison, A. E. (2018). Electrophysiology of rodent GnRH neurons. In A. E. Herbison & T. M. Plant (Eds.), The GnRHS neuron and its control. (pp. 177-202). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9781119233275

Plant, T. M., & Herbison, A. E. (2018). The framework upon which current research on the GnRH neuron and its control is built. In A. E. Herbison & T. M. Plant (Eds.), The GnRHS neuron and its control. (pp. 3-11). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9781119233275

Herbison, A. E. (2015). Physiology of the adult gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuronal network. In T. M. Plant & A. J. Zeleznik (Eds.), Knobil and Neill's Physiology of reproduction (Vol. 1). (4th ed.) (pp. 399-467). Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-397175-3.00011-9

Iremonger, K. J., & Herbison, A. E. (2015). Elucidating the structure and function of Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) neuron dendrites. In W. E. Armstrong & J. G. Tasker (Eds.), Neurophysiology of neuroendocrine neurons. (pp. 273-300). Chichester, UK: Wiley Blackwell. doi: 10.1002/9781118606803.ch12

Wintermantel, T. M., Elzer, J., Herbison, A. E., Fritzemeier, K.-H., & Schütz, G. (2007). Genetic dissection of estrogen receptor signaling in vivo. In K. S. Korach & T. Wintermantel (Eds.), Tissue-specific estrogen action: Novel mechanisms, novel ligands, novel therapies. (pp. 25-44). Berlin, Germany: Springer.

Herbison, A. E. (2006). Physiology of the gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuronal network. In E. Knobil & J. D. Neill (Eds.), Knobil and Neill's physiology of reproduction. (3rd ed.) (pp. 1415-1482). Amsterdam: Elsevier.

Herbison, A. E. (2003). Gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuron. In H. L. Henry & A. W. Norman (Eds.), Encyclopedia of hormones. (pp. 171-177). San Diego: Academic Press.

Herbison, A. E. (2001). GnRH transgenic models. In M. G. Castro (Ed.), Transgenic models in endocrinology. (pp. 45-58). Boston: Kluwer.

Buckingham, J., Cowell, A. M., Gillies, G. E., Herbison, A. E., & Steele, J. H. (1997). The neuroendocrine system: Anatomy, physiology and responses to stress. In J. C. Buckingham, G. E. Gillies & A. M. Cowell (Eds.), Stress, stress hormones and the immune system. (pp. 9-48). Chichester: Wiley.

^ Top of page

Journal - Research Article

Han, S. Y., Kane, G., Cheong, I., & Herbison, A. E. (2019). Characterization of GnRH pulse generator activity in male mice using GCaMP fiber photometry. Endocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1210/en.2018-01047

Delmas, S., Porteous, R., Bergin, D. H., & Herbison, A. E. (2018). Altered aspects of anxiety-related behavior in kisspeptin receptor-deleted male mice. Scientific Reports, 8, 2794. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-21042-4

Schafer, D., Kane, G., Colledge, W. H., Piet, R., & Herbison, A. E. (2018). Sex- and sub region-dependent modulation of arcuate kisspeptin neurons by vasopressin and vasoactive intestinal peptide. Journal of Neuroendocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/jne.12660

Han, S. Y., Clarkson, J., Piet, R., & Herbison, A. E. (2018). Optical approaches for interrogating neural circuits controlling hormone secretion [Review]. Endocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1210/en.2018-00594

Hellier, V., Brock, O., Candlish, M., Desroziers, E., Aoki, M., Mayer, C., Piet, R., Herbison, A., … Bakker, J. (2018). Female sexual behavior in mice is controlled by kisspeptin neurons. Nature Communications, 9, 400. doi: 10.1038/s41467-017-02797-2

Piet, R., Kalil, B., McLennan, T., Porteous, R., Czieselsky, K., & Herbison, A. E. (2018). Dominant neuropeptide co-transmission in kisspeptin-GABA regulation of GnRH neuron firing driving ovulation. Journal of Neuroscience, 0658-18, 0658-18. doi: 10.1523/jneurosci.0658-18.2018

Moore, A. M., Prescott, M., Czieselsky, K., Desroziers, E., Yip, S. H., Campbell, R. E., & Herbison, A. E. (2018). Synaptic innervation of the GnRH neuron distal dendron in female mice. Endocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1210/en.2018-00505

Liu, X., Porteous, R., & Herbison, A. E. (2017). Dynamics of GnRH neuron ionotropic GABA and glutamate synaptic receptors are unchanged during estrogen positive and negative feedback in female mice. eNeuro, 4(5), e0259-17.2017. doi: 10.1523/eneuro.0259-17.2017

Clarkson, J., Han, S. Y., Piet, R., McLennan, T., Kane, G. M., Ng, J., Porteous, R. W., Kim, J. S., … Iremonger, K. J., & Herbison, A. E. (2017). Definition of the hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator in mice. PNAS, 114(47), E10216-E10223. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1713897114

Iremonger, K. J., Porteous, R., & Herbison, A. E. (2017). Spike and neuropeptide-dependent mechanisms control GnRH neuron nerve terminal Ca2+ over diverse time scales. Journal of Neuroscience, 37(12), 3342-3351. doi: 10.1523/jneurosci.2925-16.2017

Clarkson, J., & Herbison, A. E. (2016). Hypothalamic control of the male neonatal testosterone surge. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 371(1688), 20150115. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0115

Manfredi-Lozano, M., Roa, J., Ruiz-Pino, F., Piet, R., García-Galiano, D., Pineda, R., … Herbison, A. E., … Tena-Sempere, M. (2016). Defining a novel leptin-melanocortin-kisspeptin pathway involved in the metabolic control of puberty. Molecular Metabolism, 5(10), 844-857. doi: 10.1016/j.molmet.2016.08.003

Cimino, I., Casoni, F., Liu, X., Messina, A., Parkash, J., Jamin, S. P., … Prescott, M., Campbell, R., Herbison, A. E., … Giacobini, P. (2016). Novel role for anti-Müllerian hormone in the regulation of GnRH neuron excitability and hormone secretion. Nature Communications, 7, 10055. doi: 10.1038/ncomms10055

Decourt, C., Robert, V., Anger, K., Galibert, M., Madinier, J.-B., Liu, X., … Herbison, A. E., Anderson, G. M., … Beltramo, M. (2016). A synthetic kisspeptin analog that triggers ovulation and advances puberty. Scientific Reports, 6, 26908. doi: 10.1038/srep26908

Piet, R., Dunckley, H., Lee, K., & Herbison, A. E. (2016). Vasoactive intestinal peptide excites GnRH neurons in male and female mice. Endocrinology, 157(9), 3621-3630. doi: 10.1210/en.2016-1399

More publications...