Gene knockout mice in the study of parturition

To review recent studies of parturition control in mice with relevance to understanding the control of human parturition.

Assimilation of published studies of gene knockout mice with mutations in neuropeptides, prostaglandin synthetic enzymes and receptors, and other molecules implicated in parturition.

The central role of prostaglandins in murine labor is demonstrated by mice with gene mutations at multiple levels of the prostaglandin synthetic pathway. In addition, novel molecules such as steroid 5 alpha-reductase are found to play an essential role in the progression of labor. Surprisingly, deficiency of neuropeptides such as oxytocin and corticotropin-releasing hormone have little effect on parturition.

Molecular genetic analyses in mice provide an efficient way to define molecules critical for murine parturition. Extrapolation of the importance of these molecules to human parturition provides the next challenge.