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Updated: Aug 16, 2026
04:38
Assessment of Sexual Behavior of Male Mice
Published on: March 5, 2020
What have we learned about gonadotropin function from gonadotropin subunit and receptor knockout mice?
1Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. tkumar@kumc.edu
Reproduction (Cambridge, England)
|August 27, 2005
Summary
Genetic mouse models reveal crucial roles for follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) in reproduction. FSH is vital for female fertility, while LH is essential for both male and female fertility.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Endocrinology
- Genetics
Background:
- Pituitary and placental glycoprotein hormones, including FSH and LH, play key roles in reproduction.
- Advances in mouse genome manipulation have enabled the creation of models for human reproductive disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the in vivo roles of FSH and LH and their receptors in reproductive physiology using genetically engineered mouse models.
- To confirm previous findings and uncover novel functions of gonadotropins.
Main Methods:
- Generation of knockout mice lacking FSH, LH, or their cognate receptors.
- Phenotypic analysis of these mutant mice to assess fertility and reproductive organ development.
- Comparison of gonadotropin ligand and receptor knockout mouse phenotypes.
Main Results:
- FSH is dispensable for male fertility but essential for female fertility; absence of LH causes infertility in both sexes.
- FSH deficiency impacts Sertoli cell number and germ cell capacity in males; LH deficiency affects both somatic and germ cell lineages.
- Female FSH mutants show blocked folliculogenesis, while LH mutants exhibit pre-ovulatory follicular defects and apoptosis.
Conclusions:
- Mouse models confirm known physiological roles of gonadotropins and reveal previously unrecognized functions.
- LH is critical for fertility in both sexes, while FSH is primarily essential for female fertility.
- Further research is needed to correlate extra-gonadal phenotypes in receptor knockout mice with human patient mutations.
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