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. 2011 Dec 22;3:10. doi: 10.3389/fnevo.2011.00010

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Copyright © 2011 Cameron.

This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial License, which permits non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in other forums, provided the original authors and source are credited.

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Schematic diagram showing the effects of early environment such as maternal care and predisposition such as masculinization caused by in utero T exposure on the hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal (HPG) axis. Both can inhibit estrogen receptor α (ERα) and kisspeptin in the anteroventral-periventricular (AVPv) nucleus, which in turn modulate gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). GnRH is secreted from the hypothalamus and released into the median eminence; it then reaches the anterior pituitary where it stimulates the release of luteinizing hormone (LH). LH stimulates the release of the steroid hormones estrogen (E2) and progesterone (P) from the ovary. LH, E2 and P stimulate onset of puberty and improve sexual behavior and reproductive success.