Herbison Laboratory, Research, Centre for Neuroendocrinology, University of Otago, New Zealand

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

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

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

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

Robert Porteous, Scientific Officer
Role of RP3V estrogen signalling in fertility
Email robert.porteous@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
Chapter in Book - Research
Journal - Research Article

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

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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

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

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

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.

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Journal - Research Article

Han, S. Y., Cheong, I., McLennan, T., & Herbison, A. E. (2020). Neural determinants of pulsatile luteinizing hormone secretion in male mice. Endocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1210/endocr/bqz045

Silva, M. S. B., Desroziers, E., Hessler, S., Prescott, M., Coyle, C., Herbison, A. E., & Campbell, R. E. (2019). Activation of arcuate nucleus GABA neurons promotes luteinizing hormone secretion and reproductive dysfunction: Implications for polycystic ovary syndrome. EBioMedicine. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2019.05.065

McQuillan, H. J., Han, S. Y., Cheong, I., & Herbison, A. E. (2019). GnRH pulse generator activity across the estrous cycle of female mice. Endocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1210/en.2019-00193

Porteous, R., & Herbison, A. E. (2019). Genetic deletion of Esr1 in the mouse preoptic area disrupts the LH surge and estrous cyclicity. Endocrinology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1210/en.2019-00284

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

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

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Herbison Laboratory