[Knockout mice in the service of reproduction].
At least 600 infertile knockout mice have been produced and this review is limited to recent models involving unexpected genes in reproduction or genes involved in recently identified molecular biology pathways. They concern the female meiosis (Brca1), primordial follicles (Lhx8), granulosa cells (Lrh1), and, for both sexes, mitochondria (Immp2l) and meiosis (Ubb). Germ cells can be altered differently following the sex, as it is the case for Dicer, known to be involved in the formation of miRNA. Knockout mice can support data obtained in human, such as for HNRNPGT, whose role in the human spermatogenesis remained questionable. However, due to numerous factors involved, positive results obtained by the "candidate gene approach" remain limited (for example, SCP3 and CREM). Nevertheless, knockout mouse models bring considerable knowledge on genes possibly involved in men and women infertilities.
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Laboratoire d'andrologie, CHU de Kremlin-Bicêtre, AP-HP, 78, avenue du Général-Leclerc, 94275 Le Kremlin-Bicêtre cedex, France. denise.escalier@noos.fr
D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009154:Mutation; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology