Oosp3-KO Mouse

Oosp3 is a member of the Oosp family genes. These genes have expression patterns linked to the female reproductive system, yet their exact functions in oogenesis or fertilization had been unclear. Genetic models like knockout mice can be valuable tools to study its function [1].

A study generating CRISPR/Cas9 knockout (KO) mice found that knocking out three Oosp family genes (Oosp1, Oosp2, and Oosp3) resulted in triple KO (TKO) mutant mice with decreased prolificacy but not infertility. This indicates that Oosp3, along with Oosp1 and Oosp2, may potentially be dispensable for female fertility [1].

In conclusion, through KO mouse model-based research, Oosp3 has been shown to potentially not be essential for female fertility, despite its expression in the female reproductive system. These findings contribute to understanding the genetic factors influencing female fertility and may prevent unnecessary in-vitro studies on the assumed essentiality of these genes for fertility [1].

References:

1. Abbasi, Ferheen, Kodani, Mayo, Emori, Chihiro, Fujihara, Yoshitaka, Ikawa, Masahito. 2020. CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Genome Editing Reveals Oosp Family Genes are Dispensable for Female Fertility in Mice. In Cells, 9, . doi:10.3390/cells9040821. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32231122/