The E3 ubiquitin ligase RNF216/TRIAD3 is a central regulator of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis

RNF216/TRIAD3 is an E3 ligase that ubiquitinates substrates in the nervous system. Recessive mutations in RNF216/TRIAD3 cause Gordon Holmes syndrome (GHS), where hypogonadotropic hypogonadism is a core phenotype. However, the functions of RNF216/TRIAD3 within the neuroendocrine system are not well-understood. Here, we used the CRISPR-Cas9 system to knock out Rnf216/Triad3 in GT1-7 cells, a GnRH immortalized cell line derived from mouse hypothalamus. Rnf216/Triad3 knockout cells had decreased steady state Gnrh and reduced calcium transient frequency. To address functions of RNF216/TRIAD3 in vivo, we generated a Rnf216/Triad3 constitutive knockout (KO) mouse. KO mice of both sexes showed reductions in GnRH and soma size. Furthermore, KO mice exhibited sex-specific phenotypes with males showing gonadal impairment and derangements in gonadotropin release compared to KO females, which only had irregular estrous cyclicity. Our work shows that dysfunction of RNF216/TRIAD3 affects the HPG axis in a sex-dependent manner, implicating sex-specific therapeutic interventions for GHS.