The activity of exogenous genetic constructs introduced into cells by the technique of ballistic transfection in mouse ontogenesis

Abstract

We used the method of particle bombardment (ballistic transfection) to introduce β-galactosidase and human dystrophin genes into mouse embryos and skeletal muscles of adult mice. We examined the mechanisms of DNA transfer into skeletal muscle cells, the biological processes accompanying and following this transfer, the susceptibility of various types of muscle cells to transfection, and the duration of expression of and conditions affecting the introduced genes. We have also developed an effective, convenient, and practical methods of skeletal muscle transfection.